India has made ambitious commitments in the Paris Climate Accord and organisations such as Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) are putting their best foot forward to ensure that the goals are met. EESL and M&M, part of the US$ 19 billion Mahindra Group, have collaborated for a LED replacement programme with energy efficient (EE) alternatives across Mahindra’s 18 manufacturing facilities in India. This collaboration is EESL’s first private sector engagement to promote energy efficient appliances in a working space and is aimed at encouraging private sector to adopt EE appliances.   The installation of LED lighting will save 20 million units of electricity per annum. Mahindra has made an investment of Rs. 16 crore in this project. Technical assistance, Cost efficient procurement and project management services for this project across all Mahindra facilities have been provided by EESL.   In addition, energy audits are being undertaken in 6 manufacturing facilities of Mahindra to explore further energy saving opportunities which include waste heat recovery, energy efficient motors and heating, ventilating & air-conditioning (HVAC), etc. EESL will also help Mahindra in the training and capacity building of its employees to use the new energy efficient equipment and adopt efficient practice to conserve energy. Under the aegis of this programme EESL will enable Mahindra to manage its energy needs efficiently and affordably.   Speaking on the initiative, Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL, says, “This partnership marks a very significant step towards promoting an energy efficient lifestyle among corporates and large facilities in India. We are very happy that Mahindra & Mahindra has undertaken this initiative and has set an example for the industry. We look forward to more such collaborations so that they adopt EE appliances that will help them in reducing operational cost through energy savings. Government of India has revolutionised the energy-efficiency market in India and changed the perception of using EE appliances among citizens through UJALA.”   Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, says, “We are delighted to partner EESL in making our manufacturing facilities energy efficient. At Mahindra, we view sustainability as a vital business strategy thereby helping our stakeholders to Rise. As a responsible organisation not only have we adopted energy efficient solutions in our manufacturing facilities but have also encouraged our suppliers, dealer partners and employees to do so, to reduce carbon emission for a cleaner, smarter and greener tomorrow.”   Mahindra became the first company in the world to commit to doubling energy productivity by 2030. It has also committed to invest $10 per tonne of carbon emitted in technologies to reduce its carbon footprint. The partnership with EESL will go a long way in fulfilling these commitments.   During World Environment Month this year (June 2017), Mahindra launched the UJALA Scheme, in collaboration with EESL, to take energy-efficiency to the homes of its employees across India. Under the special UJALA Scheme the employees could buy energy efficient tube lights, bulbs and fans at a competitive offer price. The UJALA Scheme received an overwhelming response from more than 20,000 employees. Similar positive response has been received from hundreds of Mahindra’s suppliers and dealers.   EESL through its buildings energy-efficiency programme can assist government and other public and private stakeholders to overcome technical barriers to adopt energy efficiency. The process starts with EESL undertaking walk-through energy audits of a building complex to develop techno-commercially feasible energy efficiency measures (EEMs) on a lump-sum fee basis. After the energy audits, EESL provides technical and/or financial support to the building owner for project implementation. Many government buildings have already adopted EE appliances and among them EESL has completed retrofitting in buildings such as PWD Maharashtra, NITI Ayog, Nirman Bhawan, Sardar Patel Bhawan, Shastri Bhawan, J&K Assembly, Jammu Secretariat, Vidyut Bhawan, and Rajiv Chowk Metro station, which is resulting in huge energy savings.   Mahindra’s impact on sustainability goes beyond energy efficiency. It is a water positive corporation harnessing more than 12 times the water consumed by the entire Mahindra Group through its micro-irrigation business and watershed development programs. Only 12 per cent of the waste it generates goes to landfills and it aims to become a zero waste to landfill organisation. Mahindra’s Igatpuri plant is already India’s first and the world’s second site to be certified zero waste to landfill. Mahindra’s investments in green businesses like electric cars and micro-irrigation are helping take sustainability beyond the boundaries of its physical locations.   With India aggressively adopting energy efficiency to achieve the INDC goals, it has become increasingly important that corporates become part of the government’s energy efficient vision. EESL’s energy efficiency programmes such as Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LED and Appliances for All (UJALA), Street Light National Programme (SLNP), Municipal Energy Efficient Pump sets (MEEP) and Buildings Energy Efficiency programme are all relevant for corporates like Mahindra. EESL’s work in reducing the nation’s carbon footprint extends to electric vehicles and Mahindra is one of the companies from whom EESL will be procuring electric vehicles as a part of its e-vehicles programme.   By conceptualising and embracing these programmes, the partnership of EESL and Mahindra is taking strong steps towards the vision of creating a low carbon economy in India.