Indian Railways has signed an MoU with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to collaboratively reduce energy and water consumption lowering GHG emissions. IR and CII have renewed their MoU for the third consecutive term.
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Indian Railways, as a major stakeholder of the transportation sector in India shared the responsibility of environmental protection. IR, itself has set a “Net Zero Carbon Emission” target by the year 2030. Indian Railways have a significant number of Railway stations, Production units, major workshops and other establishments, for which various green initiatives have been taken with the objective of environment protection and reducing the carbon footprints.
CII has been actively partnering with IR since July 2016 to promote and facilitate green initiatives over Indian Railways. First MoU was signed in 2016 for 03 years and upon its expiry another MoU was signed in 2019 for further 03 years.
Significant progress has been made so far under above 02 MoUs in achieving:
- Energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities and railway workshops: This initiative resulted in energy savings of 210 lakh kWh, and monetary savings of Rs. 16 crores and resulted in significant GHG emissions reduction of around 18000 tons of CO2.
- GreenCo rating: This initiative has been implemented in 75 Railways units (workshops & manufacturing facilities) and has improved their environmental performance substantially.
- Green Railway Stations: Around 40 stations have achieved green certificates and have demonstrated significant improvements by saving 22 million KWh energy and 3 billion litres of water annually.
- Green Buildings, Hospitals, Schools and Colonies: Over 40 building facilities, including administrative buildings, hospitals, schools and colonies have been facilitated to achieve green certification.
- Capacity Building and Skill Development: More than 20 New technology suppliers have been introduced, with around 150 IR officials having been exposed to the 06 Best energy efficient private sector plants in India. Also, around 900 IR officials trained on different aspects of energy efficiency.
Smt. Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board expressed optimism about the renewed collaboration, stating, “Indian Railways has consistently demonstrated its commitment to sustainable practices. This renewed MoU with CII-GBC marks a significant step towards our collective goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions”. She emphasised that Green is the most desirable option, incorporated as fundamental in ‘Planning, design, development and operations’ of Indian Railway.
Deputy Director General of CII, Ms. Seema Arora, appreciated Indian Railways efforts in implementing green measures, reducing energy and water consumption and promoting sustainable practices across the built environment. She accentuated the importance of this partnership in driving sustainable development, stating, “Our renewed partnership with Indian Railways signifies a strategic shift towards the Net Zero framework. This alignment with global sustainability goals underscores our dedication to creating a greener, cleaner and more sustainable future for generations to come. We look forward to implementing cutting-edge solutions that will pave the way for a more environmentally responsible railway network.”
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed and exchanged on 4th January, 2024 between Shri Shailendra Singh, Principal Executive Director/ME (EnHM & Project), Railway Board and Smt. Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, CII in the presence of Smt. Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, Board Members and other senior officers.
Under this MoU, besides initiatives already being undertaken, CII will collaborate in bringing new/relevant technologies and its implementation, assistance for achieving ISO 50001 certification of workshops/production units, development of Net-Zero Energy Railway station framework and an information dashboard will also be created to highlight the advancement in green initiatives throughout the year taken jointly by IR and CII.
This collaborative effort reflects a dedicated stride towards sustainable practices, emphasising energy efficiency, reduced Carbon emissions, and enhanced environmental performance across the railway infrastructure.
Source: PIB- Press Release | Image Credit: PIB
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