SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT

ASSIGNMENT – 3

Shreya KhastagirShivani PalSmit Shah

Karan Malik

THE GOODIBM

IBM

IBM has long maintained an unwavering commitment to environmental protection which was formalized by a corporate environmental policy in 1971.

The policy calls for IBM to be an environmental leader across all of our business activities.

IBM’s comprehensive environmental programs range from pollution prevention and waste management to resource conservation and product design for the environment.

INITIATIVES TAKEN

Over the last two decades, IBM has avoided 5,400,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy use and saved $399 million in associated direct energy expense through conservation and procurement of renewable energy.

IBM’s strategy is focused on both reducing demand and conserving energy. To achieve these results, IBMers from across business units are collaborating to foster innovation and further efficiency practices.

HOW IBM HELPED WORLD GO GREENER

INITIATIVE 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Energy conservation (as% of total use)

3.9 3.8 6.1 5.4 5.7

Renewable energy procured (as % of total use)

7.3 8.5 8.6 11.3

11.2

CO2 emissions reduction(compared to 2005) - 

+2 -1.6 -5.7 -16.7

Recycled plastics (% of total plastics procured)

11.7 10.6

10.3

13.2

11.5

THE BADRELIANCE ENERGY

RELIANCE ENERGY

All the plant emission parameters are well below statutory limits. Both the Flue Gas De-sulphurisation units were in service throughout the year with SOx absorption more than 90% as stipulated.

Improvement on Cycle of Concentration (COC) and reduction in average water consumption has been achieved. An area of about 1.6 hectares is covered under forestation in and around the Goa plant premises.

WHY NOT GOOD? WHY NOT UGLY?

The company has taken notable measures in direction of environmental conservation.

However, the policy of the company is to MINIMIZE the damage done by it to the environment and not to CONTRIBUTE in cultivating a greener world.

Thus, it has started taking the eco-friendly approaches but it still has a lot more to contribute to be an eco-friendly company.

INITIATIVES TAKEN At RInfras, planned capacity addition in next

10 years through thermal power includes significant share through non-conventional (hydro/combined cycle/super critical/gas or liquid fuel based) power projects which emits less CO2 per unit of electricity generation compared to conventional coal based thermal power plants.

The Company has special interest in investing into non-conventional energy sources and aims to build power generation capacity for about 28,000 MW out of which, near 11,000 MW is planned from hydro power.

INITIATIVES TAKEN (CONTD) The Company has addressed the issue of

carbon emission reduction by taking measures both at generation and consumption side.

Reduction of heat rate, resulting in reduced consumption of coal, which resulted into reduced emissions.

Adopted carbon sequestration approach by massive plantation of mangroves to protect creek banks from erosion and develop breeding grounds for marine life.

THE UGLY (AND BEYOND)

POHANG STEEL COMPANY - INDIA

POSCO INDIA

POSCO, the world's third-largest steelmaker, wants to mine iron ore in the Khandadhar near region of Orissa and signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2005 for the plant, which was to be built in three phases by 2016, with production scheduled to begin by the end of 2011 at the completion of the first phase.

TIMELINE

June 2005 | South Korea’s Pohang Steel Co signs memorandum with Orissa govt to set up Rs 51,000cr steel project, the biggest FDI in India.

Aug 2008 | SC upholds “in-principle” clearance for use of forest land but directs environment ministry to probe alleged violations

Jan 2010 | Ministry says clearance for diversion of forest land subject to implementation of Forest Rights Act

Aug 2010 | Ministry of Environment and Forestry halts project, probes alleged violation of forest rights

Jan 31, 2011 | Ministry of Environment and Forestry completes its probe of forest rights compliance, clears steel & power plants and captive port

TIMELINE – CONTD.

Jun 14, 2011 Orissa government paused land acquisition at the proposed steel plant of Posco in Dhinkia grampanchayat.

September 8, 2011 Orissa High Court rules that land acquisition is in public interest, allows non-private land acquisition by state government for POSCO India to proceed, orders a continued pause on the acquisition of private land till further ruling.

November 25, 2011 Abhay Sahu, the leader of the anti-Posco movement in Orissa, was arrested over his alleged involvement in several criminal cases. Sahu is the head of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), a Communist Party of India backed organisation, that has been convincing villagers in Orissa and organizing opposition to the Posco investment in Orissa.

AN IMMINENT DISASTER

A group of ecologists have warned of an ecological disaster at the Posco Steel Plant’s site with the state government cutting around 50,000 trees to prepare the site for the plant.

the afforestation in the country has been far from satisfactory and can seriously damage the existing coastal ecosystem and expressed displeasure over cutting down of trees in huge police presence.

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

 Where the government should have consulted with the villagers at every stage and acted with respect for their concerns, it has instead taken an adversarial stance, deploying police forces, intimidating villagers, arresting leaders, and suppressing dissent by violence. 

SEZ APPROVAL: EXAGGERATING BENEFITS

SEZ 33.6% of profits due to domestic sales ONLY 

DTA 33.6% of profits due to all sales (exports + domestic sales) 

Expected export: 53-67% of total.

IMPACT ON QUALITY OF WATER

Questions about the indirect costs of water usage by POSCO, including agricultural losses caused by i) shortage of water, ii) impact of water logging upstream (caused by the blocking of the Jatadhar river for port construction), iii) impact of increased salinity of the water (caused by dredging for the construction of the port).  

PARADEEP PORT IN DANGER One of the most alarming effects, it appears, i

s that the publicly‐owned Paradeep port will become untenable directly as a result of the construction of POSCO’s captive port. This is a consequence of shifts that will take place in the coastal topography owing to interferences to littoral drift by which sediments move along a beach shore.

It is likely that the northward erosion would cause a gradual submergence of Paradeep port into the Bay of Bengal.  

IMPACT TO THE ECOSYSTEM

The fertility of the land and the abundance of marine life in this region are the direct results of the alluvial sediment and nutrients brought in by the rivers, and one of the main harmful impacts is that the blocking the Jatadhar River would impoverish the ecosystem of the estuary. 

WHO WILL GAIN?

The profits from this megaproject will primarily enrich POSCO shareholders, the largest of which are big U.S. banks such as Citibank and JP MorganChase, each of which own 5‐10% of POSCO’s equity, and one of the richest individuals in the world, Warren Buffett, who owns approximately 4 million shares of POSCO’s stock.

Traders, transporters and middlemen in the mining value chain, the contractors and the suppliers who will build sub‐standard roads and bridges, the real estate sharks and the township building contractors, the mobile phone franchises  and the gas station chains, all stand to make immense gains; but the displaced marginal farmers and the Adivasi villagers will lose. The biggest loss will happen to the environment.

THANK YOU