New Delhi, January 5
The Indian Railways (IR) has signed an MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to reduce energy and water consumption, lowering GHG emissions. IR and CII have renewed their MoU for a third consecutive term.
The MoU was signed and exchanged on January 4, 2024, between Railway Board Principal Executive Director/ME (EnHM & Project), Shailendra Singh, and CII Deputy Director General, Seema Arora, in the presence of Railway Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jaya Varma Sinha, Board Members, and other senior officers.
Indian Railways (IR), as a major stakeholder in 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 carbon footprints.
CII has been actively partnering with IR since July 2016 to promote and facilitate green initiatives over Indian Railways. The first MoU was signed in 2016 for 3 years and upon its expiration, another MoU was signed in 2019 for another 3 years.
Significant progress has been made so far under the above two MoUs in achieving:
Energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities and railway workshops: This initiative resulted in energy savings of 210 lakh kWh, monetary savings of Rs. 16 crores, and resulted in a significant GHG emission reduction of around 18000 ton of CO2.
GreenCo rating: This initiative has been implemented in 75 railway units (workshops and manufacturing facilities) and has improved their environmental performance substantially.
Green Railway Stations: Around 40 stations have achieved a green certificate and have demonstrated significant improvements by saving 22 million KWh of energy and 3 billion liters 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 have been exposed to the six best energy-efficient private sector plants in India. Also, around 900 IR officials were trained on different aspects of energy efficiency.
Railway Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jaya Varma Sinha, 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 Emission".
She emphasised that green is the most desirable option, incorporated as fundamental in the 'Planning, Design, Development and Operations' of the Indian Railway.
Deputy Director General of CII, Seema Arora, appreciated Indian Railway's 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."
Under this MoU, besides initiatives already being undertaken, CII will collaborate in bringing new or relevant technologies and their implementation; assistance in achieving ISO 50001 certification of workshops and production units; the development of the 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.