The Company aims to reduce the impact of its activities on the environment wherever feasible. The majority of sites within the Group are certified to the international environmental management systems standard ISO14001 or have planned certification within the next year (see table). ISO14001 includes the requirement that environmental impacts are identified and that there are ongoing programmes for improvement across key impact areas.

The sites in India work within a regulatory framework established through the system of environmental permits and limits set by the Indian State Pollution Control Board. These require regular reporting on the monitoring and analysis of various environmental impacts. Legislative compliance is a minimum expectation for all sites.

Significant business drivers such as cost savings, particularly in energy which is a significant operational cost, and water usage, especially within regions susceptible to water shortages, encourage good environmental performance. Examples of water saving activities at HZL and energy saving activities within Sterlite are provided in the top panel on page 24. Several sites, including HZL sites in Rajasthan and the Group’s largest copper smelter at Tuticorin, have policies of zero waste water discharge from the sites.

Some key initiatives in this area are as follows:
HZL and the drive to minimise water use
Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection (CREP) for Zinc Industries
Preservation of Energy Award for Sterlite

Secure landfill sites designed to high standards have been developed at these sites. Initiatives are under way to recycle waste where possible. For example, HZL has undertaken a pilot study to use smelter slag in cement production, Sterlite sells gypsum and smelter slag and MALCO sells red mud and pot ash generated during their processes to the cement industry.

Environmental management training and awareness is provided through annual environmental awareness weeks or days for all employees and specialist environmental training for relevant individuals.