ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Piter Biswaspiterbiswas11@gmail.com

Ancient Philosophy – Respect for Environment

In ‘Rig Veda’, it is stated:

Sky is like a father

Earth is like a mother

Space is as their children

It reflects that environment is to be valued like parents and loved like children

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Environmental Challenges• India’s economic development propelled by rapid industrial growth and

urbanization is causing severe environmental problems that have local, regional and global significance.

• Deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution and land degradation continue to be areas of major concern.

• Rapid industrialization and urbanization in India’s metropolises are straining the limits of municipal services and causing serious environmental problems.

• Assuming continued economic liberalization and increased urbanization, the damage to environment and health could be enormous if precautionary measures are not taken.

• The challenge, therefore, is to maintain the quality of air, water and land and protect the environment by reconciling environmental, social and economic imperatives.

• To address these environmental challenges in coordination with the state governments, the central government has identified and targeted 17 highly polluting industries.

• The chemical and engineering industries are at the top of the government’s list, since they are the major contributors to air, water, and waste pollution.

• These industries include integrated iron and steel plants, non ferrous metallurgical units, pharmaceutical and petrochemical complexes, fertilizers and pesticide plants, thermal power plants, textiles, pulp and paper, tanneries and chloralkali units.

• Government of India has established an environmental legal and institutional system to meet these challenges within the overall framework of India’s development agenda and international principles and norms.

Stockholm Conference on Human Environment in 1972Ever since the ‘Stockholm Conference’ in June,1972, there has been a great proliferation of legislations and regulations in India for protection and improvement of environment in response to the challenge of Sustainable Development.In India, protection of Environment and Sustainable use of natural resources received due attention after Stockholm Conference in 1972.

The Rio Earth Summit, 1992• From 3-14 June 1992, Rio de Janeiro hosted the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development (UNCED). • The focus of this conference was the state of the global environment and the

relationship between economics, science and the environment in a political context.

• The conference concluded with the Earth Summit, at which leaders of 105 nations gathered to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development.

Why Environmental Legislations ?• Threat to sustainable economic development due to stretching use of natural

resources beyond their replenishing capacity .• Environmental law play a very crucial preventive as well as remedial role.• Organisation demonstrate sound environmental performance on account of

growing stringent compulsion.

Environmental Legislations

Various Legislations and Regulations in India, dealing with protection of environment

• Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974• Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Cess Act,1977• Forest Conservation Act, 1980• Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981• Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986

Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling & Transboundary Movement) Rules 2008

Manufacture, Storage & Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules,2000

Battery (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 Bio-medical Wastes, Municipal Wastes, 1998 Noise (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000 Ozone Depleting Substance Rules, 2000 Notification on Fly-ash, 2009 E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011

Environmental Legislations

National Environment Policy-2006• National Environment Policy is a response to our

commitment to ‘Clean Environment’ , mandate in constitution of India in Article 48A and 51A (g), under Article 21.

• NEP recognized that maintenance of Environment is not only the responsibility of State alone, it is the responsibility of every citizen.

Objective of National Environment Policy• Conservation of critical environmental resources• Integration of environmental concerns in economic

and social development• Efficiency in resource use• Enhancement of resources for environmental

conservation

National Action Plan on Climate Change• NAPCC document released on 30th June, 2008, relates to sustainable

development, co-benefits to society at large, focus on adaptation, mitigation, and scientific research.

• Identified 8 National Missions to achieve Sustainable Development

− National Solar Missions− National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency− National Mission on Sustainable Habitats− National Water Mission− National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan

Ecosystem− National Mission for a Green India− National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture− National Mission on Strategic Knowledge on Climate

Change

Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection (CREP) • Government and Industry have united and come to an understanding through CREP

in March, 2003• Action points formulated under CREP for 17 categories of polluting industries• A step beyond compliance with the regulatory norms • Target is set in the Charter are ahead of existing standards Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection (CREP)Target is set for the following:

Rebuilding of Coke Oven Batteries Solid Waste Utilization Inventorisation and Management of Hazardous Wastes Water Consumption Introduction of CDI/CTI facilities Installation of Secondary emission control system in SMS Adoption of Cleaner Technology Implementation of recommendation of LCA Keeping records for efficient running of pollution control equipment and

reporting

Charter on CREP

Environment Policy of SAILWe, the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), manufacture various products of iron and steel. The company owns and operates five integrated steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur, Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur and three special steels plants at Salem, Durgapur and Bhadravati along with captive mines for iron ore, limestone, dolomite and coal and has a Ferro-alloys Plant at Chandrapur. We also have an extensive marketing network spread across the length and breadth of the country.SAIL reaffirms its commitment to contributing towards a clean and sustainable environment and continually enhancing its environmental performance as an integral part of its business philosophy and values. Towards this commitment, we shall :• Integrate sound environmental management practices in all our activities.• Conduct our operations in an environmentally responsible manner to comply

with applicable legal and other requirements related to its environmental aspects and strive to go beyond.

• Progressively adopt cleaner and energy efficient technologies.• Minimise waste generation and promote recovery, recycle and reuse.• Increase greenery in and around our plants and mines.• Strive for continual improvement in our environmental performance by setting

challenging targets, measuring progress, taking corrective action and communicating environmental information to all concerned.

• Enhance environmental awareness amongst employees working for and on behalf of us and the general populace around the plants and mines.

• Encourage our business associates to adopt similar approach for environmental protection.

The environment policy of SAIL, adopted in the year 1996, governs the environment management of all operations at its facilities. It ensures environmental sustainability at its plants and mines by setting challenging targets, committing to judicious use of resources and making its processes cleaner and energy efficient through :

• Phasing out of old technologies and production process, contributed significantly to the improvement in the environment and pollution scenario in SAIL Steel works like :− Pollution load could be drastically brought down with the gradual

replacement of the open hearth furnaces by BOFs.− Adoption of continuous casting in place of continuous ingot casting

contributed to energy saving. Improvement in the environmental front has also been brought about

through the following:− Gradual rebuilding of Coke Oven Batteries with state-of-the art

Pollution Control facilities− Installation of Computerised Combustion Control System at Coke Oven

Batteries− Installation of multi-slit burners in Sinter Plant − Installation of Dry Fog Dust Suppression System− Replacement of Scrubbers by ESPs/Bag Filters − Injection of Direct reducing agents in BFs − Installation of Cast House de-dusting system at BFs− Reverse Osmosis process for the treatment of effluent− Recycling Water from Sewage Treatment Plant

Initiatives taken at SAIL

Improvement in Environmental IndicesParticulate Matter (PM) Emission Load has reduced from 2.2 kg/tcs (tonnes of crude steel) in 07-08 to 1.01 kg/tcs in 2011-12, a reduction of more than 54% during the last 5 years. During April– Feb. 2013, average PM emission load further reduced to 0.89 kg/tcs.

Specific Water Consumption has reduced from 4.0 m3/tcs (tonnes of crude steel) in 07-08 to 3.86 m3/tcs in 2011-12, a reduction of more than 3.5 % during the last 5 years. During April–Feb. 2013, average Specific Water Consumption further reduced to 3.74 m3/tcs.

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0.5

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1.5

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2.5

07-'08 08-'09 09-'10 10-'11 11-'12 Apr-Feb.'13

2.2

1.6 1.55

1.11 1.01 0.89

Particulate Matter Emission Load (Kg/tcs)

Improvement in Environmental Indices

Specific Effluent Load was 0.13 Kg/tcs in 2011-12 ; a reduction of around 28% during the last 4 years. During April–Feb. 2013, average Specific Effluent Load further reduced to 0.10 kg/tcs.

Specific Effluent Discharge from SAIL Plants has reduced to 2.26 m3/tfs (tonnes of finished steel) in 2011-12; a reduction of more than 13% over the last 5 years. During April – Feb. 2013, average Specific Effluent Discharge further reduced to 2.22 m3/tfs.

Improvement in Environmental IndicesWith continuing thrust on Solid Waste Utilization at the integrated steel plants, an improvement of over 18% for Blast Furnace (BF) Slag and 18% for Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) Slag has been achieved in the last 5 years. During April - Feb. 2013, the BF & BOF Slag utilisation were 95% and 70% respectively.Solid Fill : BF Slag

Gradient Fill : BOF SlagSpecific CO2 Emission reduced from 2.99 kg/tcs (tonnes of crude steel) in 07-08 to 2.81 T/tcs in 2011-12; a reduction of 6% over the last 5 years. During April-Feb. 2013, the Specific CO2 emission further reduced to 2.77 T/tcs.

• Environment management is an integral part of the modernization and expansion projects undertaken at different SAIL units.

• Various state-of-the-art cleaner technologies are being installed as a part of the on-going expansion cum modernisation project:

− Beneficiation to use lean ore and to recover iron ore fines from slime

− Pelletisation of iron ore fines− Coke Dry Quenching (CDQ)− Top Pressure Recovery Turbine system (TRT)− Stock House Dust Suppression system− Cast House De-fuming system− Secondary emission control system at BOF− Gas based (using by-product gas) Power Plant

Initiatives taken at SAIL

Sl. No. CATEGORY1. Fertilizer ( Nitrogen Phosphate )2. Sugar3. Cement4. Fermentation & Distillery5. Aluminium6. Petro Chemicals7. Thermal Power8. Oil Refinery9. Sulphuric Acid10. Tanneries11. Copper Smelter12. Zinc Smelter13. Iron and Steel14. Pulp and Paper15. Dye and Dye Intermediates16. Pesticides Manufacturing and Formulation17. Basic Drugs and Pharmaceuticals

17 Categories of Highly Polluting Industries

Sustainability defined“ The natural resources are not inexhaustible

and the development process should be aimed to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.”

----Brundtland Commission of UN Report 1987.“Economic development, social development

and environmental protections are inter-dependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development.”

----UN World Summit, 2005

Key Current Sustainability Issues & Goals

Issues Climate change Water availability/quality Sustainable consumption Consumer preferences Human rights Worker’s rights“Sustainability is not simply about green economy, it

is about the whole economy.”GoalsTriple Bottom Line Approach People Planet Profit

Triple Bottom Line ApproachPeopleFair and beneficial business practices towards:LabourCommunityRegionHuman CapitalPlanetSustainable environmental policiesReduction of ecological footprintConducting life cycle assessmentNo ecologically destructive practicesNatural CapitalProfitEconomic value created by the organisation after deducting the cost of all inputs including the cost of the capital tied up.Real economic impact the organisation has on its economic environment.Economic Capital

Sustainability – an opportunity rather than a challenge

Finding of Survey “ The Sustainability Survey Poll on Climate Change”

Tremendous growth opportunities in the areas of renewable energy and low carbon products and services.

Ideal opportunity for businesses to carve out new sources of competitive advantage and market leadership.

Sustainable development and environmental

sustainability Definition for sustainable development :

“ Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of

future generation to meet their own needs” The resource base is not inexhaustible sustainable development is economic

development Without environmental sustainability it is

impossible to achieve sustainable development.

Unique definition for sustainable development:

An indicator is needed for comparing the relative progress made by

different countries towards sustainable development at a given time.

for measuring progress made by a given country or region over time.

operational definition must be based on the reduction in consumption of goods and services by the affluent within and between nations.

the production and consumption must be curbed to achieve even a modest degree of sustainable development and determined efforts must be made to reduce consumption through formal education.

NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

All major natural resources in the country are in grave danger of irreparable damage.

A society cannot survive if its natural resources are rendered unfit for use by its people.

The only hope of salvaging this grave situation is by making the young aware that they need to proactively begin to protect the environment they will inherit.

Science and Technology can help in a limited way but cannot deliver it.

The moral and ethical education for changing people’s attitude

To protect children living in polluted regions, environmental education represents a relevant means of prevention

It is need for the hour to propose the environmental education with the essential elements of moral philosophy.

For conceptual change

THANK YOU