Climate Change Note 23Dec09

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2009

CLIMA

TE CHANGE

INITIATIVE



A Note on Climate Change Initiative

BACKGROUND

The concern for global warming resulting from carbon-di-oxide emissions from the industries has been attractingworldwide attention in the recent times. Direct and indirect effects of the green house gases, being experienced

by way of erratic climatic changes, have worried the world leaders. It has become evident that urgent measures

are necessary to protect the environment. One of the most significant initiative in this direction is the Kyoto

Protocol. The Kyoto protocol set legally binding targets for the industrialized nations cascaded down from the

target of achieving emission cut by 5 % of 1990 by 2010-12. Non adherence to this protocol led to the

Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. Subsequent to heated debates & discussions, the Copenhagen

Climate Conference finally ended with a target of achieving 2 o C temp cut by 2050. While the Copenhagen accord

"recognizes" the scientific case for keeping temperature rises to no more than 2 oC, it does not contain

commitments on emission reductions to achieve that goal.

Implications for India

Even before the Copenhagen Summit on Climate took place, the global pressure to reduce emissions led

countries like China and India to come up with voluntary emission cuts. India, on its part, has made a pledge of

cutting carbon emission by 20-25% by2020 over the 2005 levels. Relentless efforts by BASIC (Brazil, South

Africa, India & China) countries ensured that no legal binding is imposed on the developing countries and that will

mean the emission efforts will not be subject to any international scrutiny. A look at the emitting countries shows

that India has to act before it is too late.



Industries: Contributors to global pollution

It is now a well acknowledged fact that industries are the primary contributors to the degenerating climate, directly

or indirectly. Nearly a third of the world’s energy consumption and 36% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are

attributable to manufacturing industries. The large primary materials industries, i.e., chemical, petrochemicals, iron

and steel, cement, paper and pulp, and other minerals and metals, account for more than two-thirds of thisamount. A quick look at the sector wise contributors to carbon emission throws up the picture below:

Source: Department of Energy, GOI

Impact on the Steel Industry

The iron and steel industry accounts for about 19% of final energy use and about a quarter of direct CO2

emissions from the industry sector. The CO2 relevance is high due to a large share of coal in the energy mix. Iron

and steel has a complex industrial structure, but only a limited number of processes are applied worldwide. A

large share of the differences in energy intensities and CO2 emissions on a plant and country level are explained

by variations in the quality of the resources that are used and the cost of energy.In India, Steel at 10% comes third after Power (51%) and Transport (16%) in terms of Green House Gases (GHG)

contributors. The steel companies have been using various innovative methods and technological advancements

to cut the emissions.

CO2 emissions from the various steel making processes currently in use globally are presented below:

http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/iron-and-steel-emissions.html


http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/cement-CO2-emissions.html


http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/industry-CO2-emissions.html


http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/industry-CO2-emissions.html





TATA STEEL, since its inception, has been an environmentally conscious enterprise. In the global fight against

emission cuts, TATA STEEL has also been taking firm steps to reduce emissions pro-actively. It has been able to

cut emission by 36% in last 12 years. We are committed to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from 2.2 to

1.8 tones for every ton of steel produced by 2012, in a bid to contribute to climate change initiatives.

In this connection, a proposed set of actions spanning the whole of 2010 is presented below for your

consideration please.

It is suggested that the actions are taken in the following three domains:

- Within the organization: Plants, Offices, etc.

- With the communities that TATA STEEL in contact with: Employees and their families, township around,

channel partners, vendors and NGOs.

- With the confederation of steel makers (SAIL, Vizag Steel, etc.)

ACTIVITY CALENDER

Time Line Within Organization With the

communities we

touch

With other Indian

Steel majors

January 2010 Launch a programme

to invite employee

partnership in the

emission-cut

campaign.

Launch a programme

to educate the

children in schools

how to contribute to

reduce emissions.

Form a committee of

steel majors (SAIL,

Vizag, JSW, JSPL) to

jointly combat the

emission menace.February 2010 Form teams within the Invite / form Forums



Plant and the offices

to work on time-bound

emission-cut targets.

involving students,

house wives, vendors

and dealers.March 2010 Theme for Founder’s

Day Celebrations can

be Climate Change

this year.

Organize competitions

of essay-writing, sit-in

paintings for school

students

Launch a campaign to

convey steel majors’

commitment to public

at large22March 2010 World Water Day : this year we can take this up as a month long

campaign to conserve our water resources with programmes within the

plant and in the community. Tubes and JUSCO can lead this initiative.April 2010

22nd April – world

Earth Day

Launch a few highly visible efforts like Solar Power Carts for

transportation within works and cladding of highly visible buildings

(condition to architectural permission) like Tata CentreMay 2010 Invite Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri to speak in JSR.June 2010

5th June – World

Environment Day

A walk for climate

change awareness

Form a BOD like set

up consisting of

eminent

environmentalists,

directors from steel

majors etc.July 2010 Cascade the

inputs/guidelines from

the BOD formed(15th) August 2010 A day of non usage of

motor vehicles tospread the awareness

for emission and

climate change

Liaison with the Govt.

for supports to thesteel industry(as it is

planning for the power

sector,September 2010October 2010 Invite Mr Al Gore to spread the issues related to Global Warming

November 2010 Quality Month can

have improvement of

the quality of

environment as the

theme.December 2010 Exhibition on Climate Change

Documents

Climate Change Note 23Dec09