New Delhi, India – Indian Bureau of Mines awards a 5-star rating to Hindustan Zinc Limited on its practices of sustainable mining being undertaken by the company. The rating has been accorded to the company on its performance for the financial year 2022-23, based on the Sustainable Development Framework as per IBM’s Star Rating System.
Located in a position that is enviable, the Rampura Agucha and Sindesar Khurd mines of Hindustan Zinc are among the few mines in the country to have received this rating. Out of more than 1,200 mines evaluated throughout the country, only 68 of them were rated 5 star and two fully mechanised underground mines of Hindustan Zinc were placed in the category of 2. This guarantees a strong recognition for Hindustan Zinc in incorporating best practices in mining, particularly that of Hindustan Zinc where their operations had to be efficient as well as green simultaneously.
Environmental Initiatives and Carbon Footprint Reduction
Hindustan Zinc has been at the forefront of all initiatives that would ultimately help it succeed in reducing its carbon footprint. These include concentration on renewable energy, imbibing technology, and building a green shield through afforestation. It has brought in many environmental technologies, such as a Zero Liquid Discharge Plant, Dry Tailing Plant, and Sewage Treatment Plant in Zinc City, which are necessary to support the entire program of least ecological mishap and for creating a setting that would further the latter set of goals concerning corporate sustainability.
Hindustan Zinc To further bring down carbon ability, Hindustan Zinc is concentrating on increasing the use of green power. The company has plans to be more than 50% dependent on green power to meet the electrical energy needs, which are expected to result in reducing carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of 2.7 million tonnes annually. In support of this goal, Pantnagar Metal Plant is now completely operational on renewable power, and a 450 MW renewable power agreement has been signed to help further reduce emissions.
The battery electric vehicles and low carbon fuel, including the usage of LNG at its mines, are supplemental to other measures that Hindustan Zinc has been engaged in, and the overall efforts are to result in 25% reduction of its Scope-3 emissions by the close of the current decade. This is central to the steps that the company has embraced as part of the comprehensive sustainability vision aligned with the framework put forth by Vedanta toward the goal of minimizing environmental impact.
The sustainability of Hindustan Zinc is well beyond environmental conservation into attaching value to meaningful investments towards community development. Community development is being effectively implemented for seven focus areas: education, sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, community asset creation, health, water, and sanitation, preservation of sports and culture.
These have already empowered 2 million people across 3,600 villages and are demonstrating the firm’s commitment to enriching the quality of life in the communities where it works. The social responsibility practices the firm is adhering to are setting new standards in the mining sector about why corporate working is needed for community development.
Towards Net Zero and Sustainable Zinc Production
Hindustan Zinc is equally marching towards the goal of Net Zero by 2050. The company has introduced EcoZen—the first low-carbon zinc brand in Asia, produced with a reduced carbon footprint by 50% in comparison with the global average. That by itself is one major stride toward cleaner zinc production and underlines the fact that Hindustan Zinc shall play a significant lead in the global zinc market.
The company’s efforts toward sustainability have not gone unnoticed. However, they have not been ignored. S&P Global recently ranked Hindustan Zinc as the world’s most sustainable metals and mining company, thus further enhancing its reputation as a leader in environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
Conclusion:
This 5-star rating has been bestowed upon Hindustan Zinc by the Indian Bureau of Mines—a state body, in recognition of its sterling efforts to implement the best mining practices that ensure reduced environment impacts and community development. In the process of continuing to fulfill its quest toward goals of sustainability, it has given an example to the industry, showing that mining can be both profitable and responsible.
New technologies, a green energy revolution, and a community driving the Hindustan Zinc way help in the path towards a more sustainable future in metals and mining.
Source: Vedanta