India's Dalmia Cement has taken a proactive stance in reducing carbon emissions by announcing that it has targeted being carbon neutral by 2040.

"We follow the strict regimes and are the greenest cement manufacturing company in the world. Reducing transition risks and creating transition opportunities are the top priorities; emissions and energy intensities directly impact the operating costs and India's Dalmia Cement aims to be carbon negative by 2040," said Sunil Gupta, executive director, manufacturing head, eastern region.

The company’s carbon negative ambition is an attempt to minimise the environmental impacts of cement production in the country.

"We are the first cement company across the globe to join RE 100 (Renewable Energy – includes Wind, Solar, Biomass and Hydropower) and EP 100 (Energy Production) – showing real business leadership in the clean energy transition by taking a joined-up approach," said Mr Gupta.

"The Climate Group estimates that if 100 companies double their energy productivity by 2030 – such as what Dalmia Bharat Cement has committed to do – over 170Mt of emissions could be avoided cumulatively, equivalent to taking 37m cars off the road for a year."

Despite targeting lower emissions the company still has progressive capacity expansion plans. We are planning to increase the production capacity from 10Mt to 16Mt by 2021 in the eastern region and 26Mt in the group, he said. "Though we are also at work to increase the production capacity to 50Mt by 2022 under the brownfield projects, acquisition as well as greenfield projects and for which company will invest INR30,000m (US$421.6m)," he added.