Earth Hour and beyond: breaking the growth paradox with a collective action!

Did you participate in the Earth Hour?

These initiatives are reflections of the importance of our collective actions toward a sustainable future. The impact of climate change and the need for growth and development is pulling nations into a growth paradox. Urban cities with industrialization and development are causing increased greenhouse gas emissions. This, in turn, is leading to climate change and resulting extreme weather conditions, making us further dependent on electricity for heating and cooling and easing the pressure on the governments to continue running coal-based plants to meet the peeking power demand. this is putting us into a vicious cycle. These plants emit greenhouse gases, contributing further to climate change.

Nation after nation, city after city, are falling into the growth paradox. While countries and think tanks worldwide stress on solid climate action and achieving a carbon-neutral future, the Net Zero challenge is bigger than one nation, one company, and one individual. It is crucial that we take on the challenge of accelerating the pace of change and this will need our unwavering energy.

A 2021-22 report stated India's per capita electricity consumption was 1255 kWh, around one-third of the global average of per capita electricity consumption. If the entire country participated in Earth Hour, switching off their electricity for one hour between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm, it would have led to saving approximately 180 GW of electricity in one hour, which is close to 70% of the peak power demand during the summer of 2023. The peak power demand during the summer of 2023 touched 243 GW. The governments are bringing a wave of change with policies aiming at green growth. At CoP 21, India pledged to fulfilling at least half of the energy requirements from non-fossil sources by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2070. There have been a slew of initiatives towards this goal such as initiative of 'Lifestyle for Environment Mission’ (LiFE), National Green Hydrogen Mission, Green Energy Corridor - Inter-State Transmission System, Rooftop solar schemes and more. However, it is time for everyone of us to join the mission. This Earth Hour wasn't merely about turning off lights for an hour; it was a reminder of collective action towards a more sustainable future. I encourage you to carry forward the spirit of Earth Hour into every day. Plant a tree, conserve water, nurture and protect greenery around and find ways to reuse and reduce waste.

At Hitachi Energy, we have placed sustainability at the heart of our Purpose. We have incorporated sustainability as one of the core aspects of our business operations and are committed to reducing our own carbon footprint. We have set ambitious targets to reduce our carbon emissions and have met several milestones towards achieving carbon neutrality. We switched to 100% fossil-free electricity in our own operations across offices and factories. We have implemented green power nano-grids for project sites, negating carbon footprint of 4,000 liters of diesel a year per site and, recycled 70 percent of waste, and co-processed 155 tonnes of scrap. Our factory in Mysore is a core example of adopting a cyclical economy approach to water and other resources, ensuring minimal waste of resources and reusing the water for operations.

We have planted native trees in Vadodara and other cities turning a barren place into a lush green garden. In our efforts, we have been encouraging employees to adopt sustainable practices at the workplace and home. These practices could range from simple actions like conserving water or reducing waste.

I have personally taken up terrace farming, utilizing the spaces to create green spaces and reuse the water, and I wholeheartedly encourage each one of you to champion actions that make a real difference. Together, we can escape the paradox of urbanization at the expense of our environment and pave the way for a sustainable future for the generations to come.