State-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd. announced on Friday that it has moved up its target for achieving net zero carbon emissions by five years, now aiming for 2035 instead of the previous goal of 2040.
In a statement, GAIL revealed that its board has approved the new targets for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Scope 1 includes direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, such as fuel combustion in factories and company vehicles. Scope 2 encompasses indirect emissions from the energy a company purchases and uses, such as the emissions generated to produce electricity.
“This decision follows an extensive study undertaken by GAIL to enhance its sustainability goals and align with India’s broader net zero commitments,” the statement said. “GAIL plans to achieve this ambitious goal through a strategic approach involving the electrification of natural gas-based equipment, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems (BESS), compressed biogas (CBG), green hydrogen, CO2 valorization initiatives, and afforestation.”
GAIL Chairman and Managing Director Sandeep Kumar Gupta emphasized the company’s role in marketing and transmitting natural gas, a cleaner fuel that helps reduce emissions across various industries and end-users. “By advancing its emission reduction targets to 2035, GAIL reaffirms its role as a trailblazer in India’s energy landscape, driving sustainable development and significantly contributing to India’s net zero emission target,” he said.
India aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions nationally by 2070. GAIL Director (Business Development) RK Singhal highlighted the firm’s sustained and focused efforts towards realizing these targets.
The revised target underscores GAIL’s proactive stance in mitigating climate change impacts and contributing to a cleaner environment, though specific details of the measures to be undertaken were not provided in the statement.
