On Global Energy Independence Day, Hindustan Zinc Limited, India’s largest integrated zinc producer, announced that it saved 670,000 tCO₂e in FY25—surpassing its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of 500,000 tCO₂e. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy is equivalent to powering more than 400,000 Indian households for a year, highlighting the company’s commitment to clean energy and operational efficiency.
During FY25, Hindustan Zinc consumed 636 million units of renewable electricity sourced through a combination of captive plants and external purchases. Given the average annual household electricity usage in India is around 1,538 kWh, the company’s emissions savings could meet the needs of over 400,000 homes. This concrete comparison underscores the company’s strong leadership in decarbonization and its tangible contributions to the shift toward clean energy.
Hindustan Zinc was recently named the world’s most sustainable metals and mining company in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024. The company has also unveiled its 2030 sustainability roadmap, which includes ambitious targets such as a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions compared with 2020 levels. The plan also extends to areas like water stewardship, biodiversity, responsible sourcing, circular economy, safety, diversity, and social impact.
In FY25, around 13% of the company’s overall power mix came from renewable sources, and it aims to increase that to 70% by FY28. Significantly, Hindustan Zinc has entered into agreements to receive round-the-clock renewable energy supply totaling up to 530 MW. The company has also launched several energy-efficiency initiatives—retrofitting power plant turbines, deploying variable frequency drives, switching to alternative fuels, and improving cellhouse operations—to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across its operations.
Last year, Hindustan Zinc began using renewable electricity to produce EcoZen, Asia’s first low-carbon zinc. This marks a strategic effort to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources, yielding a 15% reduction in GHG emission intensity in FY25 compared to the 2020 baseline—even as production volumes increased. EcoZen products are now being manufactured with a carbon footprint under one tonne of CO₂e per tonne of zinc, roughly 75% below the global average.
Hindustan Zinc is the first Indian metals and mining company to receive validated Science-Based Targets from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), in line with the global 1.5°C warming guardrail. Its zinc products now carry Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) verification, offering transparent metrics on their environmental impact. The company is also certified as 2.41× Water Positive and is targeting Net Zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. Through its social impact programs, Hindustan Zinc has transformed the lives of 2.3 million people and is recognized among India’s top 10 CSR companies.
