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MoU signed between Indian Railways and CII to promote and facilitate green initiatives
Indian Railways has set a “Net Zero Carbon Emission” target by 2030
By PIB Delhi
Indian Railways 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 4th January 2024 between Shri. Shailendra Singh, Principal Executive Director/ME (EnHM & Project), Rly. 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.
Indian Railways, 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. First MoU was signed in year 2016 for 03 years and upon its expiry another MoU was signed in year 2019 for further 03 years.
Significant progress has been made so far under the 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 Railway 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 of 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 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 and 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 emphasized 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, Ms. 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/relevant technologies and their implementation, assist in achieving ISO 50001 certification of workshops/production units, develop 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.
