Birla Cellulose, the pulp and fiber business of Grasim Industries Ltd, a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, has announced its goal to bring down its net carbon emissions to zero across all its operations by 2040, with a possibility to reach it earlier by 2035.

According to Birla Cellulose, this is the most ambitious target set by any company in the worldwide man-made cellulosic fiber (MMCF) industry.

In addition, the company intends to its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity in half by 2030, compared to a 2019 baseline. Birla Cellulose's commitment to carbon neutrality and GHG reductions encompasses Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions, as well as carbon sequestration in managed forests, and is founded on research.

H K Agarwal, managing director of Grasim Industries Ltd and business director of Birla Cellulose, said that this is a natural evolution in Birla Cellulose's global leadership in the area of sustainability. Birla Cellulose's climate target is at the heart of its business strategy, which strives to address climate change-related risks while also adapting to evolving consumer expectations for more sustainable, nature-based, and low-emission products. With a seven-decade record of innovation in the MMCF industry, Birla Cellulose continues to work on cutting-edge technologies that can speed this shift.

The roadmap calls for increased use of renewable energy in its operations, investment in breakthrough low-emission technology, net positive carbon sequestration in managed forests, and a strong emphasis on circular fashion.

Currently, renewable energy accounts for around 40% of Birla Cellulose's global activities. Furthermore, according to an E&Y evaluation conducted in 2019, the carbon stored in its directly managed forests exceeded the total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from global sites throughout the year.