If globalisation was the driving factor for Tata Group in the last decade, going green may well be the buzzword for the present one for the organisation that owns Taj Hotels. One of the eco-ventures is Indica EV, an electric car that Tata Motors plans to introduce in select European markets this year.     

By Reeba Zachariah, in the Times of India, and  by Valere Tjolle in Travel Mole  in (10 January, 2010):       

TATA Gets Green Mantra

If globalisation was the driving factor for Tata Group in the last decade, going green may well be the buzzword for the present one for the organisation that owns Taj Hotels.

From being on the fringe, the green movement is gaining momentum within the group. India’s oldest industrial house is stepping up efforts to reduce its carbon footprint across the value chain — from manufacturing processes to distribution networks to eco-friendly consumer products.

For instance, Tata Steel aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at its Jamshedpur plant from the current 1.8 tonne to 1.7 tonne per tonne of liquid steel made by 2012. The ideal global benchmark though is 1.5.

Tata Motors is setting up an eco-friendly showroom using natural building material for its flooring and energy-efficient lights. Tata Motors said the project is at a preliminary stage.

The Indian Hotels Company, which runs the Taj chain, is in the process of creating eco rooms which will have energy-efficient mini bars, organic bed linen and napkins made from recycled paper. But there won’t be any carpets since chemicals are used to clean those. And when it comes to illumination, the rooms will have CFLs or LEDs. About 5% of the total rooms at a Taj hotel would sport a chic eco-room design.

One of the most interesting innovations has come in the form of a biogas-based power plant at Taj Green Cove in Kovalam, which uses the waste generated at the hotel to meet its cooking requirements.

Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata had said during Swatch launch, a low-cost water a low-cost water purifier made from natural ingredients: “We have embarked on a group-wise initiative to create awareness and implement eco-friendly processes wherever it is possible and, in fact, look at some of our older processes to see how we can ensure that they are in compliance with the state-of-the-art exhibits. This is going to be a long and expensive journey and we are fairly committed to it.”

Another eco-friendly consumer product that is in the works is Indica EV, an electric car that will run on polymer lithium ion batteries. Tata Motors plans to introduce the Indica EV in select European markets this year.

The group’s large companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals and Tata Consultancy Services contribute 80% of the group’s overall emissions and a panel, headed by Tata Sons director JJ Irani, has been formed to address this issue. Several companies have already or are in the process of implementing clean development mechanism (CDM) projects.

Tata Steel said it is currently working on more than 17 CDM projects with Ernst & Young and these projects are at various stages of approval at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Tata Power has said that of the total power it would generate in the next 10 years, 25% would be from renewable energy sources.

Tata Motors is collecting environmental and energy data across its dealer and supply chain to compute their carbon footprint and identity opportunities for cutting down on carbon dioxide emission. This initiative will enable sharing and deployment of ideas throughout the value chain, said a Tata Motors spokesperson.

A source in Indian Hotels said that all of its domestic and international hotels would be certified by Green Globe, an international agency by the end of 2010.

Source: www.travelmole.com and www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com