INDIACSR News Network
KOBRA (Chhattisgarh): Bharat Aluminium Co Ltd (BALCO) received CII-ITC Sustainability Award for Significant Achievement based on commendable results from deployment of Policy and Processes. BALCO has received this award in recognition of its efforts towards sustainable development in the state of Chhattisgarh.
On behalf of Balco, Deepak Prasad (Vice President) – Hot Metal received this award from The President of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 14th of January.
The company was lauded for its initiative that touches the lives of more than 150,000 people in 230 villages, spread across three areas of operation — Korba, Sarguja and Kawardha in Chhattisgarh.
CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development announced INDIA’S MOST SUSTAINABLE companies at a special presentation of the CII-ITC Sustainability Awards in New Delhi on January 14, 2013. Much more than a well-attended awards ceremony, this event is a manifestation of a larger goal – that of creating a mechanism for visibility of those corporate initiatives that are making genuine advances toward sustainability.
The CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development seeks to reward companies with a comprehensive sustainability strategy that are actively implementing initiatives that are creating real impact. Recognising the foresight of such companies, which are driving an agenda that goes beyond incremental change, will motivate others to act.
The Chief Guest for the event and presenting the awards was Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India. The ceremony was attended by some of the most illustrious and distinguished CEOs who came to receive their awards.
Addressing the audience, Shri Pranab Mukherjee while lauding the achievements of the winning companies also observed the challenges that lie ahead saying, ‘Today, as a nation, in addition to the urgent requirement for fast-paced economic growth in challenging global circumstances, we face a multitude of challenges in the form of diverse aspects such as inclusive growth, poverty alleviation, mitigating environmental degradation, climate change, competition in international markets, escalating energy requirements, and many more’. He added that ‘Although commercial activity is an important force for nation building, we must not forget its two most vital pillars – the natural ecosystem, and the people who make up our society.
In his opening remarks Mr YC Deveshwar, Past President, CII, Chairman, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development Advisory Council and Chairman, ITC Limited, highlighted the importance and value of the Sustainability Award at at a time that India faces challenges of resource constraint, environmental degradation growing population and poverty. He added that companies need to incorporate sustainability and inclusivity in their business practices.
Ajay Shriram, Vice-President, CII and Chairman & Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd spoke about how the industry is acknowledging the need to institute sustainability in their day-to-day thinking and how many companies are adopting an internal Corporate Sustainability Index whereby they are developing internal indices to assess the effectiveness of their initiatives. He added, the industry has also been working together with the community and its employees in preserving and protecting local biodiversity, restoring degraded areas and developing new ways for mitigating the impact of human activities.’
His address was followed by Mr Suresh Prabhu, Chairman, Jury, CII-ITC Sustainability Awards, and Chairman, Council for Energy, Environment and Water, who said that these award represent today’s India and are ‘holistic as they capture not only environmental issues but also social and economic issue.’ The Awards were then given out by the President to the 25 winners.
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