Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA)

72 Cement Companies Adopting Renewable Energy for Sustainable Business Growth Jayant Kandpal President & Unit Head, Chanderia Unit 10 Hemantha Kumar Vice President & Head Corporate Sustainable Development Vinod Paliwal AVP & Head-Sustainable Development - Birla Corporation Ltd. Abstract Renewable energy is the key element of sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost- effective electricity generation. An official report by International Energy Agency (IEA) states that the demand on fossil fuel usage to generate electricity has started to decrease since year 2019, along with the rise of Renewable Energy usage to supply global energy demands. Researches on Renewable Energy technologies are continuously growing in order to enhance the performance of Renewable Energy generation, especially in term of energy conversion efficiency. Several Renewable Energy technologies have been used to improve the overall performance of Renewable Energy in generating electricity. Energy transition of India requires expansion of usage of renewable & alternative energy sources across all economic spheres, which is also vital to achieve the set target of gaining energy independence by 2047 and Net Zero by 2070. The most pressing reason for investing in renewable energy is its role in combating climate change. Fossil fuel combustion for electricity, heating and transportation accounts for approximately 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to rising global temperatures, melting polar ice, rising sea levels and more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires. Renewable energy sources produce little to no direct carbon emissions. For instance, solar and wind power generate electricity without burning fuel, thereby reducing our carbon footprint significantly. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), achieving the goals set by the Paris Agreement would require renewable energy to supply more than 80% of the global power sector by 2050. This transformation could avoid up to 70% of energy- related CO emissions, a crucial step in limiting 2 global warming to 1.5°C. The Government of India has recently brought out notification for industries & provided targets for GHG emission reduction. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) gazette notifications dtd. October 8, 2025 define legally binding Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) targets for over 490 obligated entities across India's hard-to-abate industrial sectors under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).