Why Green means Money

30 Apr 2022 CW Team

In the current environment, health, safety and governance could be parameters of the measure of social aspects of the ESG agenda and will remain a high priority for the engineering and construction (E&C) industry. Governance will be a sensitive issue given the size and complexity of contracts, competitive bidding processes and the need to engage with both public and private stakeholders and to prevent bribery, corruption and anticompetitive behaviour. The building and construction sector is responsible for 39 per cent of carbon emissions globally, according to the World Green Building Council, and hence has to work hard to match the goals and commitments. Therefore, carbon reduction and environmental initiatives are a business imperative for contractors in the days ahead.

India ranks a lowly 120 among 165 countries in its progress towards achieving all 17 SDGs (sustainable development goals), lower than Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Vedanta Ltd, JSW Energy and HDFC Bank have planned to go carbon neutral in the next few decades. Good ESG scores are helping companies tap into newer pools of capital and build valuations to attract investors in these reorganised entities, while enhancing shareholder value.

Vedanta is restructuring its operations and may demerge and list its aluminium, iron and steel, and oil and gas businesses as standalone entities. Restructuring a mammoth like RIL means transferring its gasification assets to a wholly owned unit, which will help it produce hydrogen to establish a hydrogen ecosystem while JSW Energy is…

Click here to read more

ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. From financial year 2022-2023, the top 1,000 listed companies in India (by market capitalisation) will need to prepare a ‘business responsibility and sustainability report’ (or BRSR), containing detailed ESG disclosures. The BRSR has to be a part of the annual report, which gets notified to the stock exchanges, published on official company websites and separately provided to shareholders. Before the BRSR became mandatory, the top 1,000 listed companies in India (by market capitalisation) had to publish a relatively shorter ‘business responsibility report’. In the current environment, health, safety and governance could be parameters of the measure of social aspects of the ESG agenda and will remain a high priority for the engineering and construction (E&C) industry. Governance will be a sensitive issue given the size and complexity of contracts, competitive bidding processes and the need to engage with both public and private stakeholders and to prevent bribery, corruption and anticompetitive behaviour. The building and construction sector is responsible for 39 per cent of carbon emissions globally, according to the World Green Building Council, and hence has to work hard to match the goals and commitments. Therefore, carbon reduction and environmental initiatives are a business imperative for contractors in the days ahead. India ranks a lowly 120 among 165 countries in its progress towards achieving all 17 SDGs (sustainable development goals), lower than Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Vedanta Ltd, JSW Energy and HDFC Bank have planned to go carbon neutral in the next few decades. Good ESG scores are helping companies tap into newer pools of capital and build valuations to attract investors in these reorganised entities, while enhancing shareholder value. Vedanta is restructuring its operations and may demerge and list its aluminium, iron and steel, and oil and gas businesses as standalone entities. Restructuring a mammoth like RIL means transferring its gasification assets to a wholly owned unit, which will help it produce hydrogen to establish a hydrogen ecosystem while JSW Energy is… Click here to read more

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Mizoram To Build Rs 139 Billion Pumped Storage Power Plant

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced plans to construct a 2,400 MW pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hnahthial district, marking a major step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in the state. Addressing the Mizo Students’ Union general conference in Hnahthial town, the Chief Minister said the plant would be developed across the Darzo Nallah, a tributary of the Tuipui river. Once operational, the project is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting Mizoram’s rising electricity demand and reducing dependence on imported power. Officials from the State Power..

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Centre Plans Nationwide Opening Of Power Retail Market

India is preparing to open up its retail electricity market to private companies nationwide, effectively ending the long-standing monopoly of state-run power distributors in most regions, according to a draft bill released by the Union Power Ministry on Friday. The move will enable major private sector players — including Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power, and CESC — to expand their presence across the country’s electricity distribution landscape. A similar reform attempt in 2022 had faced strong opposition from state-run distribution companies (discoms), which currently dom..

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

CEA Sets 100 GW Nuclear Target For India By 2047

In a landmark step marking its 52nd Foundation Day, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) unveiled an ambitious roadmap to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with India’s long-term Net-Zero commitment and energy security objectives. The event, held at the Central Water Commission auditorium in New Delhi’s R.K. Puram, was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, who served as the Chief Guest. The roadmap sets out a detailed plan to expand India’s nuclear capacity from its current level of approximately 8,180 MW as of early 2025, outl..