World Environment Day 2025: “End Plastic Pollution”
5th June 2025 is being observed as World Environment Day with the theme, “End Plastic Pollution”. First observed on 5th June 1973, World Environment Day commemorates the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment at Stockholm, which was the first international conference to make environment an important issue.
Environment Day Celebrations by Indian Industry Majors
Tata Power: Anokha Dhaaga Smart Circularity Programme
Tata Power highlighted its Anokha Dhaaga Smart Circularity Programme on World Environment Day 2025. This programme is concerned with turning plastic waste into useful products, and focusing on livelihood opportunities for women. In its press release from 4th June 2025, Tata Power mentioned that micro-entrepreneurship initiatives under Anokha Dhaaga Smart Circulatory Programme has turned about 5,000 Kg of discarded single-use plastics into fabric products, which have helped concerned women entrepreneurs earn a total of about Rs. 20 lakh. As per Tata Power, this project demonstrates how “…sustainable innovation and community empowerment can jointly address the plastic crisis, restore ecosystems, and generate lasting socio-environmental impact”.
The programme involved collection of plastic waste from Tata Power’s facilities in Trombay and Mumbai areas, and training women to produce items such as T-shirts, tote bags and haversacks from plastic waste. Anokha Dhaaga programme involves 30,000 women in a total of 9 states, and provides them with “training, market linkages, and entrepreneurship opportunities”.
Essar Celebrates World Environment Day 2025
Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd. (EOGEPL), Essar Ports and Essar Power celebrated World Environment Day 2025 through activities such as tree plantation, clean-up drives and awareness campaigns involving competitions and activities. EOGEPL planted 50 saplings of Jamun and Mahogany at its premises in Raniganj. To highlight importance of minimising plastic usage, the company gifted mangoes from trees planted by EOGEPL in bamboo baskets to participants of Environment Day activities. Essar Power also organised a tree-plantation drive at its Salaya campus. The celebration was also marked with competitions and activities targeted to spread awareness among employees.
Essar Ports engaged in a clean-up drive around its Salaya bulk terminal, Gujarat. Plastic waste was collected and removed from Essar Ports’ premises and also the adjacent National Highway. Poster-making, slogan-writing, and quiz competitions were also conducted as a part of Essar Ports’ World Environment Day celebrations to spread environmental awareness.
GAIL: Enabling Better Environment
Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) observed World Environment Day 2025 with numerous awareness activities which were organised under the theme: “Enabling Better Environment”. These activities, which included quizes and other games, were conducted at GAIL’s offices in the Delhi NCR area as well as at Delhi’s Bhikaji Cama Place Metro station, which is branded by GAIL. Apart from this, seeds of seasonal plants were distributed among metro travellers at the Bhikaji Cama Metro station in order to promote tree-pantation.
Environmental Initiatives by Major Indian Business Houses
Major Indian companies, such as Tata Group companies, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Reliance Industries, Hindalco, JSW Group companies, Siemens, and more.
Tata Group’s 2045 Net Zero Target & Project Aalingana
Tata Group’s project Aalingana outlines its approach to achieve its carbon net-zero target by 2045. Project Aalingana has three components: the first stresses on decarbonisation of operations, the second involves incorporating a circular economy for efficient use of water and other resources, and the third concerns with general preservation of nature.
During a 2022 event, Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, had stressed, “…we have a lot to do — in terms of electric vehicles, looking at hydrogen for commercial vehicles, greening our tough sectors like steel, cement, renewable power both for the utility scale and the consumer”.
Tata Steel: Tata Steel became the first Indian Steelmaker to use biochar, which is biomass-based charcoal, for Steel production at Jamshedpur. The company had started using biochar on trial basis in January 2023. Since then, Tata Steel has reduced its fossil fuel consumption by 30,000 tonnes. Tata Steel is planning to expand the use of biochar to more of its Steel plants across the country.
Moreover, in January 2025, Tata Steel became the first Indian Steelmaker to develop Steel pipes for the transportation of Hydrogen. This assumes major importance in the light of the ongoing developments in the area of Green Hydrogen. Hydrogen transportation is particularly dicey and involves several logistical challenges, which makes Tata Steel’s accomplishment noteworthy.
Tata Motors: Tata Motors’ net-zero emissions target has been set to 2040 for passenger vehicles segment and to 2045 for commercial vehicles segment. Apart from this, Tata Motors aims to be Water Neutral by 2030, and has developed water bodies for groundwater recharging around several of its factories. The most notable is a 245-acre wetland habitat that the company has created within its 1,160-acre plant in Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad belt.
Tata Power: Tata Power has a major Renewable Energy (RE) portfolio, comprising 5,847 MW of power generation capacity. This accounts for about 40% of the company’s total power generation capacity. Tata Power is also working towards its target of increasing the share of its RE energy portfolio to 70% of its total energy generation portfolio by 2030.
Larsen & Tourbo to be Carbon Neutral by 2040
Larsen and Toubro, one of India’s largest EPC conglomerates, has set 2040 as its deadline to achieve carbon neutrality and 2035 as its deadline to achieve water neutrality. As per L&T, in FY24, 9.2% of its total power requirement came from RE sources, whereas L&T’s annual power consumption dropped by 16% during FY24 compared to FY23. Separately, about 50% of the conglomerate’s revenue came from its ‘Green business’. L&T’s green business engages with renewable energy, low-emission mobility, water and sanitation projects, and more.
L&T also engages in environmental sustainability activities, and the conglomerate planted about 4 million saplings during FY24 alone.
Reliance Group’s Environmental Sustainability Initiatives
Reliance Group, one of India’s major business houses, is pursuing the target of being carbon net neutral by 2035.
Jamnagar Green Energy Complex: Reliance is in the process of investing Rs 75,000 crore to develop Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar, which will comprise 5 giga-factories. These factories will cater to PV equipment manufacturing, battery manufacturing, electrolyser manufacturing and Green Hydrogen generation, and more. In fact, the solar module manufacturing unit at Jamnagar is expected to begin commercial production in the current fiscal.
PET Bottle Recycling: As per Reliance, it engages in the recycling of over 2 billion PET bottles in India annually. Reliance targets to increase its PET bottle recycling to 5 billion bottles annually. Apart from this, Reliance uses PET bottles to create fibres which are used for its sustainable clothing brand GreenGold.
Alliance to End Plastic Waste: Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) was founded in 2019 with Reliance as one of its founding members. As per the alliance, since 2019, a total of 1,18,580 tonnes of plastic waste has been reduced by the AEPW. AEPW’s approaches include segregation of municipal and household plastic waste and diversion of plastic waste from landfills and water bodies.
Hindalco’s Approach to Sustainable Mining
Hindalco Industries is a part of the Aditya Birla Group and a major Aluminium and Copper producer in India. The company operates 23 mines in the country, which are located in diverse geographies. As per the company, steps such as mining waste management and water resource management are among Hindalco’s key practices followed in its mining operations. In fact, 5 of Hindalco’s mines are water-positive, and 15 of its plants have Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD).
During FY24, Hindalco planted 4,10,355 saplings, and as per the company, it recycles 85% of its hazardous waste.
Way Ahead to Deal with Plastic Waste Crisis
India is suffering from a grave plastic pollution crisis. As per United Nations Environmental Programme (UNPE) data, 85% of the country’s plastic waste is not dealt with effectively, and it often ends up along roadsides, in water bodies and other such areas. Some of this waste is burnt, thereby aggravating air pollution, while the rest compromises drainage systems and aquatic ecosystems. Ecologically sensitive areas are prone to greater damage by single-use plastic waste. About 84% of the plastic waste found in the Himalayan region is single-use plastic, and 70% of the plastic waste found in the Himalayas from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh is non-recyclable.
In the light of these figures, initiatives by India’s industry houses assume great significance. However, every individual must strive for reducing their plastic footprint in their personal capacity.
