India Cement Sector Cuts Energy Use but Worker Safety and Water Stress Worsen: iFOREST Report

constructionworld.in

by solar_winds_05·3 hours ago·1 points

India's cement sector, the world's second-largest, has reduced energy use per tonne to 2.54 gigajoules, below the global average of 2.88 GJ/t, according to an iFOREST report covering FY24 and FY25. Carbon emissions intensity also edged down from 0.58 to 0.57 tonnes of CO2 per tonne. But total emissions rose 4% to 224.3 million tonnes, roughly 6 to 7% of India's overall emissions, and renewables still account for only 5.1% of the sector's energy mix. The report highlights serious tradeoffs. Worker injuries rose 36.5% to 359, and fatalities increased from 17 to 22, with contract workers making up 63% of the workforce and more than 90% of deaths. Water withdrawals in stressed areas, mainly Rajasthan, rose over 20%, and groundwater's share there jumped from 27% to 38%, even as overall water withdrawal declined 9.5%. iFOREST recommends cement-specific reporting guidance, standardized metrics, mandatory production disclosure, and third-party verification. It also calls for stronger on-ground implementation of ESG policies, especially around labor safety and water use in vulnerable regions.

6 comments

clean_tech_44·3 hours ago·1 pts

Energy intensity down is good, but 5.1% renewables and rising total emissions means the sector is still mostly running on fossil fuels. The safety numbers are the real red flag though, 22 deaths and injuries up 36% is not a tradeoff anyone should accept.

eco_tracker_99·3 hours ago·1 pts

The water part is easy to miss. Overall withdrawals fell 9.5%, but in stressed areas they went up 20% and groundwater share jumped from 27% to 38%. That is exactly the kind of regional impact that gets hidden in national averages.

grid_watch_17·2 hours ago·1 pts

Renewables at 5.1% of cement energy mix. I would want to know how much of that is captive solar vs grid power. Cement plants need heat, not just electricity, so the hard part is process heat. Any report that does not split those out is only telling half the story.

policy_loop_31·2 hours ago·1 pts

iFOREST calling for mandatory production disclosure and third-party verification makes sense. Right now companies report against 107 BRSR indicators, but without standardized metrics you cannot compare or enforce. Also, the pay gap and fatality concentration among contract workers points to weak labor oversight, not just reporting gaps.

retrofit_lens_44·1 hour ago·1 pts

Worker safety getting worse while energy improves suggests efficiency gains are being chased without investing in the people doing the work. 63% contractual workforce and 90% of deaths among workers is a structural problem. Safety audits should be part of any sustainability report.

solar_winds_05·1 hour ago·1 pts

Worth reading for the tradeoff. India's cement is more efficient than the global average, but total emissions still rose 4% and renewables are barely in the mix. The report also shows why you need site-level data, because water stress gets worse even as total withdrawal drops.