Birla Carbon
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2023-04 to 2024-03)
Reporting Period: 2023-04 to 2024-03
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:2.42 million metric tonnes CO2eq (FY24)
Water Consumption:194,947 megaliters (FY24)
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Circularity
- Innovation
- Health and Safety
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Governance
- Community Engagement
- Supplier Sustainability
Environmental Achievements
- All plants earned ISCC Plus certification.
- 40% reduction in total recordable incident rate.
- Completed a cradle-to-gate carbon black life cycle assessment.
- Implemented seawater scrubbing technology for SOx removal, resulting in >95% reduction in NOx and SOx emissions at North Bend, USA.
Social Achievements
- Launched Women in Networking (WIN) employee resource group.
- Achieved a 40% reduction in total recordable incident rate.
- Enhanced Diversity and Inclusion webpage.
- 91% employee engagement score (above industry benchmark).
Governance Achievements
- Undertook a double materiality assessment in compliance with CSRD.
- 100% of active employees received Code of Ethics training.
- Implemented e-permitting system for work permits.
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Medium-term Goals:
- Increase absolute energy conversion efficiency to 80% by 2030.
- Reduce water withdrawal intensity by 50% at high- and medium-risk sites by 2030.
- Repurpose 75% of waste by 2030.
- Repurpose 300,000 tonnes of end-of-life tires through Continua™ SCM per year by 2030.
Short-term Goals:
- Reduce Scope 1, 2, and 3 (upstream) emissions intensity by 22% by 2030.
Environmental Challenges
- Supply chain disruptions
- Climate change impacts (potential carbon taxes, oil scarcity, water scarcity)
- Changing consumer behavior (access over ownership)
- Urbanization and reduced car use
- Water scarcity
- GHG emissions reduction lagging behind schedule
- Zero environmental releases year on year lagging behind schedule
- Achieving zero recordable injuries year on year lagging behind schedule
Mitigation Strategies
- Partnered with Blue Yonder for omnichannel fulfillment solution.
- Developing alternative sourcing strategies (bio-based and recycled feedstocks).
- Investing in research and development of sustainable carbon products.
- Implementing water resource management planning at high-risk sites.
- Implementing a robust Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) system.
- Focus on the 4Rs: Research, Reduce, Replace, and Repurpose for GHG emissions reduction.
- Implementing global safety standards, training, and audits.
- Implementing the Stop Work Authority (SWA) program.
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 15,592 active vendors screened; 91% green-flagged, 1% red-flagged.
Responsible Procurement
- Supply Chain and Procurement Policy
- Code of Ethics
- NAVEX Global’s RiskRate® system
- EcoVadis supplier screening
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather
- Water scarcity
Transition Risks
- Carbon taxes
- Oil scarcity
- Regulatory changes
Opportunities
- Development of energy-efficient products
- Demand for carbon black in battery technology
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI 2021 Standards
Certifications: ISCC Plus
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 9
- SDG 12
- SDG 13
Initiatives related to infrastructure, responsible consumption and production, and climate action.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Continua™ SCM
- Sustainable carbon blacks
Awards & Recognition
- Two Gold Awards at Aditya Birla Group 7th Sustainability Conference (Sustainable Product and ESG Communication Campaign)
- Safety Innovation Award 2023 (Patalganga, India)
- Zero accidents rate award (Santander, Spain)
- COASHIQ Safety Management Award (Santander, Spain)