JNS: Kicking off the New Year with a remarkable achievement, the SAIL/Bokaro Steel Plant has proudly secured the prestigious Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Environmental Excellence Award, marking its place in the highest Platinum category. The announcement comes as the ICC unveiled the 17th edition of the ‘ICC Environment Excellence Awards 2023,’ a platform dedicated to acknowledging organizations’ exemplary contributions to environmental preservation during the year 2022-2023.
The Environment Protection and Sustainability (ECS) department, acting on behalf of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL), submitted the award application under the “Large Business Organization (LBO)” category. Mr. Nitish Ranjan, AGM (Environment), represented BSL and delivered a compelling presentation before a distinguished jury panel comprising industry stalwarts, academic experts, and sustainability champions on December 13, 2023. Queries raised by the jury members were addressed adeptly by Mr. N.P. Srivastava, GM (Environment).
The jury members were thoroughly impressed by Bokaro Steel Plant’s dynamic initiatives in environmental protection and its steadfast commitment to adopting sustainable practices in steel production. Following a meticulous evaluation of BSL’s sustainability parameters and the compelling presentation, the jury unanimously recognized SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant as the recipient of the 17th ICC Environment Excellence Award in the Highest Platinum Category. The prestigious award ceremony is scheduled to take place on January 11, 2024, at Hotel Oberoi Grand in Kolkata.
The ICC Environmental Excellence Award is one of the most esteemed accolades that organizations aspire to attain for their outstanding contributions to environmental management. The rigorous awards process encompasses the submission of applications, on-site assessments, presentations, and comprehensive jury evaluations. The assessment framework takes into account various environmental aspects, including statutory compliance, leadership, governance, and performance, tailored to each industry sector. The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Environmental Excellence Awards stand as a distinguished recognition bestowed upon organizations for their exceptional environmental management practices.
This accolade underscores BSL’s unwavering commitment to environmental preservation. Under the visionary leadership of BSL Director-in-charge Atanu Bhowmik and Executive Director (Operations) Shri BK Tiwari, the organization has embarked on a mission to instill operational excellence and sustainability across various facets, utilizing principles of the circular economy, energy efficiency, and environmental protection.
It is noteworthy that BSL has achieved a remarkable 12.07% reduction in particulate matter emissions and an impressive 77.3% reduction in specific effluent discharge over the last three financial years. Furthermore, BSL proudly reported 100% solid waste utilization during FY 2022-23.
In line with its commitment to environmental preservation, BSL has planted over 47 lakh saplings since its inception. The organization is also making strides toward setting up floating solar power plants in cooling ponds to align with India’s ambitious renewable energy goals by 2030, as pledged at COP26. Additionally, BSL is actively implementing various operational excellence and energy efficiency initiatives aimed at achieving net-neutrality by substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
