India's biodiversity is in a delicate balance amid rapid urbanization and environmental changes. With diverse ecosystems, the country is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, but many species are endangered or threatened. Conservation efforts grapple with habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. However, initiatives like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and community-based projects aim to preserve biodiversity. The focus extends beyond charismatic species to ecosystems crucial for ecological balance.
In this exclusive interview with TheCSRUniverse, Mr. Himal Tewari, Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief- CSR and Sustainability at Tata Power, elucidates how their CSR philosophy aligns with sustainability goals. He discusses initiatives like "Act for Mahseer," "Tree Mittra," and "Greenolution," showcasing the company's commitment to biodiversity conservation and environmental stewardship.
For deeper insights into Tata Power's initiatives and their impact on biodiversity, read the full interview below:
Q. How does Tata Power's overarching CSR philosophy align with the broader goals of sustainability, and how does it contribute to environmental and social welfare on a larger scale while envisioning a more sustainable and equitable world?
A. Tata Power's overarching CSR philosophy aligns seamlessly with our broader goals of holistic sustainable development, reflecting our commitment to creating a positive impact on both the environment and society. Our community development initiatives, including Anokha Dhaaga, Abha, Roshini, Adhikaar, Pay Autention, Club Enerji, and TPSDI, serve as catalysts for lasting impacts in education, employability, and entrepreneurship. These initiatives have positively influenced over 37 lakh lives till date in FY24, emphasizing our dedication to empowering communities both socially and economically.
We prioritize generating long-term value for all stakeholders while actively addressing societal challenges. Our commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is evident in programs like Act for Mahseer, where we engage in biodiversity conservation, extending our impact beyond individual efforts.
“Greenolution” and “Climate Crew” further contribute to our collective belief in sustainability, fostering a greener and more equitable world. Our communities are being made future-ready through Green Job skilling led by the Tata Power Skill Development Institute. Simultaneously, through initiatives like Club Enerji, we are creating junior clean energy champions by sensitizing school children to the importance of sustainable practices.
Our CSR interventions exemplify the transformative power of responsible business practices, shaping a future that is both environmentally and socially sustainable. By integrating ESG principles, engaging in biodiversity conservation, and fostering sustainable practices, Tata Power is actively contributing to the vision of a more sustainable and equitable world.
Q. What specific actions and initiatives have Tata Power undertaken in the realm of biodiversity conservation to be honored with the UNDP Mahatma Award for Biodiversity? And in what ways does Tata Power align its CSR initiatives with the values and principles of Mahatma Gandhi
A. Tata Power's commitment to conservation, highlighted by the UNDP Mahatma Award for Biodiversity, showcases our dedication towards sustainability. Long term initiatives like "Act for Mahseer" that lasted for more than 5 decades has successfully led to Blue Finned Mahseer species being taken out from the IUCN red list. In "Tree Mittra," our focus on large-scale afforestation resulted in planting over a million trees a year with focus on maintaining indigenous species, emphasizing native biodiversity preservation. Additionally, our "Climate Crew" program cultivates employee champions for sustainability. Through the initiative we have created almost 2000 employee champions. These actions mirror our steadfast commitment to environmental preservation, resonating with our mission of 'Sustainable is Attainable.' The Mahatma Award recognizes our tangible societal impact, reflecting values aligned with Mahatma Gandhi's principles. Through our Anokha Dhaaga community development initiative we are also enabling our communities for livelihood opportunities. We are encouraging development of native products and services like tiger grass which is indigenous to Maithon, Jharkhand.
Q. Can you elaborate on Tata Power's biodiversity conservation efforts, particularly the "Act for Mahseer" program and its impact on preserving endangered species?
A. Tata Power's "Act for Mahseer" program, now in its 52nd year, vividly demonstrates our unwavering dedication to biodiversity preservation. At our Walwhan Hatchery in Lonavala, we've pioneered a ground breaking method to breed 4-5 lakh Mahseer hatchlings, playing a pivotal role in conserving this endangered freshwater species. Through the creation of a conducive environment, including a dammed lake along the Indrayani River, we attract Blue-Finned and Golden Mahseer for breeding. Notably, our concerted efforts led to the removal of the Blue-Finned Mahseer from the IUCN's endangered list. Additionally, we've trained over 300 fisheries scientists and facilitated
knowledge exchange, bringing biodiversity conservation into the mainstream. We have also provided the basic technology for Artificial Breeding to the State Fisheries Departments of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh to aid their Mahseer journey.
Q. Tell us more about the "Tree Mittra" program, its objectives, and the number of trees planted as part of this initiative.
A. "Tree Mittra" stands as Tata Power's nationwide tree-planting initiative, embedded in our Green Community commitment to active tree planting and care. With the dedicated efforts of 18,000+ volunteers contributing over 1 lakh hours, we proudly planted approximately 6 lakh indigenous trees in FY 22-23. This program underscores Tata Power's firm adherence to ESG principles, championing a more sustainable footprint. Participants receive digital certification, promoting environmental stewardship and community engagement, reflecting our comprehensive approach to sustainability. The initiative also allows biodiversity enthusiasts to participate in tree plantation drives virtually from the comfort of their homes.
Q. How has Tata Power engaged its employees in sustainability through the "Greenolution" program, and what tangible results or impact has this effort achieved?
A. At Tata Power, holistic sustainable development is centre of our operations and climate action is actively propagated across our internal and external stakeholders, In line with our ‘Sustainable is Attainable’ mission, Tata Power actively advocates Climate Action through various initiatives.
Tata Power is a pioneer in environment conservation, and our employees contribute significantly to this movement. Our Greenolution conservation initiative has completed 10 years, completing major milestones in recycling, afforestation, and conservation focus areas.
To further embed design thinking for sustainability and fuelling the sustainability mindset throughout the company, Tata Power has launched an innovative initiative named “Climate Crew”. The objective of this initiative is to align with India’s global initiative 'Lifestyle for Environment Movement’ through the curated engagement with Climate Crew members to develop a progressive understanding of sustainability that will be passed on to a larger employee base. With currently almost 2000 employees being part of Climate Crew, the initiative is designed to be scaled up as a mass movement to create larger sustainability awareness across ecosystems. To further accelerate the sustainability goals of our employees and families, we have also brought in a tech partner, who is supporting the initiative with a bespoke AI-backed tech sustainability platform, where our employees and families are proactively engaged.
Employee volunteering forms a core part of our ‘Give Back’ philosophy. We have our in-house volunteering initiative Arpan, that encourages employees and families to contribute to social causes, in their free time, using their skills and capacities. Tata Power also actively collaborates with Tata Group’s Pro-Engage initiative, which designs and facilitates virtual skill-based volunteering initiatives, through which employees and families can contribute to causes of their interest, from the comfort of their own homes, enabling exposure in diverse fields. Owing to the consistent efforts of our more than 18000 employee volunteers who together clocked more than 1 lakh volunteering hours, Tata Power has consistently logged the greatest number of volunteering hours across Tata Group. Sensitization programs, training & development sessions are conducted to enhance employee knowledge, sensitivity, and exposure to social issues and challenges that we see.
Q. What broader impact does Tata Power aim to achieve in its commitment to "no net loss to biodiversity by 2030"?
A. At Tata Power, our commitment to 'No net loss to Biodiversity by 2030' is steered by Tata Group’s comprehensive sustainability vision, Project Aalingana, which embodies the Tata group's vision for a greener, cleaner, more sustainable and equitable future for the planet. Aalingana reflects the group's ambition to strive to be a leader in developing and scaling new technologies and solutions that are needed to drive a green transition, by leveraging group synergies to help companies achieve sustainability targets.
In line with this, Tata Power’s strategic approach involves the implementation of biodiversity action plans across all our thermal, hydro, and major renewable energy sites. Looking ahead, we are dedicated to completing assessments for all our wind and large solar sites by 2023, underlining our commitment to a holistic evaluation of our ecological impact.
Central to our efforts are ongoing and impactful ecosystem and biodiversity conservation projects. Noteworthy among these endeavors is our five-decade-long commitment to mahseer conservation. This sustained effort has yielded significant results, as exemplified by the blue finned mahseer's remarkable journey from being listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list to now being recognized as a species of least concern. This success underscores our dedication to long-term, tangible outcomes in biodiversity preservation.
By implementing these initiatives, we aim to make substantial contributions to the broader global biodiversity landscape. Through Project Aalingana and associated biodiversity action plans, we strive not only to mitigate our environmental impact but to actively contribute to the enhancement and protection of biodiversity. This commitment aligns with our vision for a sustainable future, emphasizing the importance of responsible corporate practices that go hand in hand with environmental stewardship. As we progress towards our goal of 'No net loss to Biodiversity by 2030,' we remain steadfast in our dedication to leaving a positive and lasting impact on the ecosystems we operate within.
Q. Can you provide insights into Tata Power's growth, transformation in clean energy, and public-private partnerships aligned with sustainability goals, and how these efforts contribute to a greener, more sustainable world beyond biodiversity initiatives?
A. I'd like to highlight that Tata Power's growth and transformation in clean energy exemplifies our commitment to a sustainable future and our diversified portfolio, with 37% from clean energy sources, reflects our dedication to reducing carbon emissions. Public-private partnerships, like the one with Endurance Technologies for a 12.5 MW Captive Solar Plant, demonstrate our collaborative approach. We have also entered an MoU with Govt. of Maharashtra for pumped Storage. Tata Power has also collaborated with Government of India, and Social Alpha to setup, The Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC), which is India’s first of its kind innovation centre for clean energy start-ups and entrepreneurs. These efforts align with global sustainability goals, contributing not only to a greener world but also fostering economic and environmental sustainability. Beyond biodiversity initiatives, our comprehensive sustainability agenda embraces a holistic approach, creating a positive impact on communities and ecosystems.
Q. What are the future possibilities and potential areas of expansion that Tata Power envisions in its pursuit of sustainability and clean energy initiatives?
A. Looking ahead, Tata Power is strategically positioned for growth in sustainability and clean energy initiatives. Our focus includes scaling up renewable projects to achieve Carbon 'Net Zero' by 2045. As an integrated power company, we prioritize providing smart energy solutions, embracing the 'Energy as a Service' model with digital enablement like Smart Metering in our distribution network and circularity-related collaborations. Our renewable energy portfolio is also rapidly growing accomplishing new milestones like Group Captive, RTS, development of 4.3 GW greenfield manufacturing plant, and Battery Enabled Storage Systems at renewable sites etc.
We see vast potential in technological innovations, particularly in smart energy solutions and electric mobility. Our commitment to ESG principles ensures a holistic approach, encompassing social responsibility and biodiversity conservation. We actively engage in thought leadership and advocacy to align with progressive measures by the Government of India.
Envisioning a green future, Tata Power is excited about diverse avenues ahead. Every effort is directed towards contributing to a sustainable world. We remain committed to creating a lasting positive impact through our clean energy initiatives.
