• Nations are accelerating the design and implementation of sustainable solutions to world’s biggest challenges
• India’s PM Mr Narendra Modi, reiterates India’s ambition to install 450 kilowatts of renewable energy by 2030.
• The needs to make mitigation and adaptation strategies along with a clear roadmap to achieve sustainable development.

Dubai : Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company and one of the world’s largest and India’s only integrated Zinc-Silver-Lead producers, led the India Inc. conversation on Net Zero at the Dubai Expo 2020. Mr. Arun Misra, CEO of Hindustan Zinc, at the opening session of The Thematic Business Forum on Climate Change in the India Pavilion gave a strong message and shared the ‘Road to COP 26 and Beyond’. The forum brought together high-level speakers and dignitaries from government, business, and financial institutions like Mr. Neelesh Kumar Sah, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate, Rt Hon. Alderman William Russell Lord Mayor, City of London etc. to take ahead the agenda of responsible operations towards mitigating climate risks.

The Dubai Expo 2020 kick started with first theme Week that aims to generate new ideas, inspire different perspectives and build a clear roadmap towards immediate action.

The Idea is to recognize it is vital to act now when the global community must take decisive and collective steps to protect the planet. Panel discussions during This Week will focus on mitigating climate change, disaster risk management, advancing the circular economy, protecting susceptible regions and conservation.

Mr. Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc during the session emphasized and said, “India, together with the world, has marched into the ‘Decade of Action’. With less than ten years left to achieve the Global Goals, nations are accelerating the design and implementation of sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges – ranging from poverty and gender inequality to climate change. Climate change is something which is real, and we are talking about this today as there is a certainty that the historical cumulative emissions are the sources of the current climate crisis which we all are facing today.”

Mr. Misra also highlighted India’s initiatives that are helping to tackle climate change. India is progressing successfully, on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2015. Of the total installed capacity, India’s non-fossil fuel power capacity is already 39.64% at 153.88GW. Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, recently at UN General Assembly re-iterated India’s ambition to install 450 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2030. India is moving very fast towards the campaign to make India the world’s largest Green Hydrogen Hub.

He also said, “The need of the hour is responsive multinational approach and climate justice, in which all countries to take their fair share in responding to global climate change issue and requires due consideration to principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capability, national priorities, circumstances and polluter pay. Developed countries must take a lead in sustainable financing, clean technology transfer and partnership and rest of the emerging economies will ramp up their carbon neutral journey. There will be no climate justice without equality.”

The India Pavilion at the Expo 2020 is a technology sensation that highlights the lively Indian culture along with its traditions. The India Pavilion also showcased its opportunities and capabilities as a global economic hub to attract domestic and foreign investors. The forum focused on the key pillars of climate action as well as the emergent drivers of climate transition. The dignitaries stated their key messages on climate action and ambition in the run-up to the UN climate change Conference of Parties in Glasgow (COP26) and beyond.

Sustainability and CSR are an integral part of business at Hindustan Zinc. Their efforts have been recognized with awards such as the Most Sustainable Company in the Mining Industry by World Finance at the Sustainability Awards 2021. The company as a COP26 business leader, has already commenced the Sustainable Development Goals for 2025 and is aiming towards 0.5 mn tCO2e GHG emission savings in their operations from the base year 2017 as part of their climate risk mitigation efforts.

Hindustan Zinc is also a water positive organization who has a well-defined water management system in place which leads to continuously identifying opportunities for water access, reuse, efficient use, and responsible wastewater management. It is 5x water-positive company and achieved 25% reduction in freshwater consumption. The company is committed to a ‘Long-term target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050’ in alignment with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).