Page 7 - TCExpessions 2019
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Cover Story              7



          businesses to achieve global leadership. Sustainability for   address is the overburdened infrastructure, especially for
          the group means balancing economic, environmental and   waste collection, given the growth in urbanisation and
          social performance to create long-term stakeholder value.  consumerism.


          The Tata Sustainability Policy states that “the Tata group is   Globally, 2 billion people were without waste collection
          committed to integrate environmental, social and ethical   services, and 3 billion people lacked access to controlled
          principles into its business” as this is “central to improving   waste disposal facilities, according to data collected by
          the quality of life of the communities we serve globally   the UN between 2010 and 2018. The problem will only
          and enhancing long-term stakeholder value”.         worsen, going forward. The UN expects the total amount
                                                              of waste generated globally to double from nearly 2
          While the Tata Global Sustainability Council provides   billion metric tonnes in 2016 to about 4 billion metric
          strategic direction to Tata group companies to achieve the   tonnes by 2050.
          SDGs, the TSG has also laid out key performance indicators
          on various parameters for this. These include emissions,   Even where it is collected, municipal solid waste (MSW)
          energy, water, solid waste, volunteering in the community,   is not always disposed of correctly since many disposal
          gender diversity and also compliance with social, safety,   facilities in countries like India are open dumpsites that
          human rights and environmental norms by its suppliers   contribute to air, water and soil pollution.
          and distributors. It has also designed a Tata Sustainability
          Assessment Framework for mapping the maturity of    In fact, MSW management is a huge challenge in India
          sustainability practices, processes and initiatives within   since most urban local bodies face capacity and financial
          individual Tata companies.                          constraints to manage waste effectively. Random
                                                              disposal of waste on low-lying lands has resulted in the
          Naturally, then, Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) too is   accumulation of large piles of waste, especially in metro
          focused on achieving global sustainability leadership   cities, across the country. The resulting emission of
          in its own business, as evident from the numerous   methane gas from landfill sites and percolation of leachate
          projects undertaken, from waste management and      leading to groundwater pollution is also posing health
          sewerage treatment to smart cities and renewal of urban   hazards for those living in the vicinity of these landfills.
          infrastructure.
                                                              TCE’s consultancy services for building waste-to-energy
          Waste to energy                                     plants using incineration technology has an important
          If the world is to achieve the SDG of sustainable cities   role to play here especially since, as per the Swachh Bharat
          and communities, one of the challenges it will have to   Mission, 100% of MSW generated in urban areas must
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