In news- NTPC Ltd, India’s largest integrated energy producer has issued a renewed Biodiversity Policy 2022 to establish a comprehensive vision and guiding principle for conservation, restoration, and enhancement of biodiversity.
About the policy-
- NTPC’s Environmental Policy’s objectives are aligned with environmental and sustainability policies.
- It is also designed to support all the professionals of the NTPC Group to help them contribute toward the achievement of the targets set in this field.
- The company will further strengthen its current efforts to achieve a ’no net loss’ of biodiversity at all of its currently operating sites and ensure there is a net positive balance wherever applicable.
- The policy also aims to adopt systematic consideration of local threats to biodiversity beyond the company’s business activities.
- NTPC is collaborating with local communities, organisations, regulatory agencies and research institutes of national/international repute in the field of biodiversity.
- It will be adhering to legal compliances with respect to biodiversity by complying with rules and regulations related to the environment, forest, wildlife, coastal zone, and green cover during planning and execution of its projects.
- NTPC was the first PSU to issue a Biodiversity Policy in 2018.
- In the same year, it became a member of the India Business & Biodiversity Initiative (IBBI).
- It has also signed a five-year agreement with Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for conservation of Olive Ridley Turtles in the coastline of Andhra Pradesh.
About India Business & Biodiversity Initiative (IBBI)-
- GIZ’s Biodiversity Programme (Germany) together with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and support from MoEFCC launched the India Business and Biodiversity Initiative (IBBI) on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May 2014 in New Delhi.
- The IBBI serves as a national platform of businesses and its stakeholders for dialogue sharing and learning, ultimately leading to mainstreaming sustainable management of biological diversity into businesses.
- The project’s vision is to sensitise, guide and mentor Indian business organisations in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use related to their operations, across their value chain and beyond towards conservation of India’s biodiversity.
- IBBI has presently 27 signatories that range from Indian conglomerates such as TATA, ITC, Mahindra, and Wipro that represents a total annual turnover of more than €360 billion.
Source: PIB
