“Robust growth in the chemicals sector is critical to achieve the US$ 5 trillion economy. In this context, our ministry is working on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage domestic manufacturing. The scheme is expected to be approved shortly. We are also working on an alternative to the BIS standards that are currently in use for quality control. For more resources, the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) must provide training and coordination. Self declaration by the industry could be an option but the confidence levels of the industry would determine its feasibility,” said Arun Baroka, Secretary, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and fertilizers.

 

Baroka shared his views at the ongoing 4th edition of Indian Chemicals Council (ICC) Sustainability Conclave on the theme of ‘boardrooms to Community-ESG, Carbon Neutrality, Operational Safety, Greener Solutions’ in New Delhi on November 17, 2022.

 

Emphasizing the need to focus on resource development, process engineering, development of new technology and effectively manage the effluent generation, Baroka exhorted the industry to sensitize the stakeholders as repeated accidents tarnish its reputation.

 

“We have been regularly getting the feedback from the industry associations and, therefore, we are working on improving the ease of doing business. In terms of implementing the safety and environment related regulations, ICC is coordinating the effort and we will provide the support.  We are working in coordination with NITI Aayog, agriculture ministry and environment ministry to decriminalize the laws,” added Baroka.

 

On the occasion, a knowledge report produced by the Environment Resource Management (ERM) was also released by the dignitaries. ERM, a globally renowned entity in the field of sustainability is the Knowledge Partner of the event.

 

“We should not just look at GDP growth but also resource conservation. At COP 27, global leaders were talking about the payment for protecting the environment. In this regard, Indonesia has got US$ 20 billion for protecting the environment," said Bimal L Goculdas, President, ICC and MD & CEO, DMCC Speciality Chemicals.

 

“India has a golden opportunity for green hydrogen, sustainability and process optimization. The country is eminently suited to do green chemistry,” said Ravi Kapoor, Chairman, Sustainability Committee, ICC and MD, Heubach Colour.

 

“150 Indian companies have signed for responsible care and of this 5060 do their regular audit,” Kapoor added.

 

“Corporates have a big responsibility in terms of sustainability that would help them to also save costs. For decarbonization, we need to follow a few critical steps such as minimizing the use of fossil fuels and using greener options. Sugarcane which is a water guzzling crop can be replaced by sugar beet which is a good replacement. Digitalization of the equipment and the plants is an important factor besides the utilization of mineral wealth. Green chemistry including the use of methane and sims gas has to be accelerated. Leveraging cleaner fuel options is the only way forward,” said Ashwin C. Shroff, Chairman & MD, Excel Industries.

 

“Corporates must have a long-term perspective on sustainability and shouldn’t be just to satisfy the shareholders. We can’t only look at sustainability from the supply side but we must also look at the demand side. So far the focus on sustainable operations has been just at the industry level but now we must look at the transition towards technological innovations. For example, our plant in Spain is coming up with carbon capturing technology,” said Nitin Desai, Chairman, Governing Council, TERI.

 

“Behavior based sustainability at the community level is the new way forward. Innovating technology that is lighter on the environment as half baked technology can lead to adverse impact. Close cooperation between government and industry bodies can help regulatory goals,” said Vikram Singhal, President, Gulbrandsen Technologies, Inc.

 

In her address, Jacqueline Alvarez, Chief, Chemicals & Health Branch, UNEP stated that it is not just about pollution and chemicals but we are talking about life, social development and economic sustainable growth here. She further stated that we are talking about incentives, alternatives not just legacies but future. She added ‘Be ambitious, think globally and act locally’.

 

The two-day conclave is broadly focused on the topics such as ESG in Boardrooms: Vision and Strategies for value creation; Decarbonizing the Chemical Sector: Reflections to Actions Product; Stewardship: Going beyond Regulatory Landscape; Unlocking the potential of Digital Transformation for Sustainability; Exploring Green Growth Opportunities: Solutions & Technologies; Leveraging Cleaner Energy Transitions; Safety promotes Sustainability; Embracing Net-Zero Transition: Risks & Opportunities; and Session by UNEP -

Plastic Pollution: Strengthening the Role of the Industry.

 

Various speakers expressed their views on climate, sustainable development and the steps that could be taken in this direction. CEOs and representatives of the Indian and global chemical companies, people working in EHS dept. in companies; Central and State Government officials, Pollution Control Boards, international multilateral organizations, Global chemical industry bodies and experts from Academia and civil society organizations are participating in the event.

 

Among the long list of leading business leaders who will discuss the challenges and opportunities, a few prominent names include; Anil Khubchandani, CO-CEO and Whole Time Director, Jubilant Ingrevia; Mukesh Malhotra, Country Manager & Managing Director, Solvay, India; Ranjeet Singh, CEO, Kanoria Chemicals; Ravi Goenka, CMD, Laxmi Organic Industries; Rajen Mariwala Vice President, ICC and Managing Director, Eternis Fine Chemicals; Prabh Das MD & CEO, HPCL – Mittal Energy; Sridhara Narasimha Sastry, President and Unit Head, Aditya Birla Chemicals for Grasim Industries; Dr. Sangeeta Srivastava Executive Director, Godavari Biorefineries, Rajeev Sharma, Fmr. CMD, Power Finance Corp; Ramkumar Shankar, Managing Director, Chemplast Sanmar; Kapil Malhotra, President, AMAI and Global BU Head-Fluoropolymers, Gujarat Fluorochemicals.

 

The annual flagship event is a major initiative of ICC for promoting sustainability in the management of the entire life cycle of chemicals. Indian Chemical News is one of the leading official media partners of the event.