Cement, Energy and Environment

parameters into Indian corporate strategies has become inevitable for all businesses today, especially for the cement sector. The cement industry enhances its contribution to sustainability goals while reaping benefits by emphasising on adapting the new reporting system of ESG. Governance Factors are related to the structure and management practices of the company and can be viewed as a commitment to business ethics and proper business conduct. ESG has long-term implications for the Indian market in the cement sector. Be it regulatory compliances or its percolation throughout the value chain, ESG norms are here to stay, making it imperative for all companies including the cement industry to adopt such ESG values to fortify investment values and ensure operational sustainability in the long run. The expanding ESG model in India reflects a strong path driven by different regulatory, and corporate governance institutes scrutiny and strategic alignment with global sustainability goals. Though ESG factors are increasingly determining investment decisions, the expected growth in ESG-oriented commitment under management aligns with India’s commitment to a greener future. The ongoing trend, supported by strategic sectors, including cement and regulatory frameworks, puts ESG investments, as a supporting force moulding India’s financial ecosystem, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient economy for the future. Today's business environment presents numerous challenges, but also significant opportunities for those who can quickly adapt to its dynamics. It creates a win-win scenario for investors, regulators, industries, and society as a whole.. This paper discusses ESG and why it is imperative for the Indian cement industry. Introduction The successful business of the future will need to be committed to sustainable development by establishing a systematic progressive governance model, to deal with the present global ecosystem taking care of better environmental, social, and economic values. Rising global concerns about climate change are placing greater emphasis on sustainability worldwide.In the past, sustainability for business has been about how one can stay in longer by enhancing the profitability of shareholders only but now through addressing all the stakeholders' needs in terms of environmental, social, and economic aspects of the products and services. The challenge of present global sustainability is complex, multidimensional, and emergent. Strategically speaking, businesses can only survive in the long run when society and the whole ecosystem in which they operate are healthy and environmentally sound. Sustainability in the industry looks at the opportunities and challenges facing major industrial sectors and global financing institutes in supporting their efforts and contributing to a greener planet and people.In today's worsening climate scenario, governance and sustainable development are interconnected necessities. The necessity of governance towards sustainable development has been slowly creeping for two decades with different characteristics and overlapping potential, now, various global impacts push further into societal change for a green economy, which is essential and urgently required for the existence of the world. Integrating sustainability issues into business has become inevitable for all businesses today because sustainability is a powerful driver for the industry, offering various advantages that go beyond environmental benefits. The rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies has led to global diffusion of ideas and practices, enabling the public and government to demand higher standards of ethics, transparency and accountability in terms of environment and finance. This has led to a good governance system, which is more responsive towards the environment and society. Now organizations everywhere are in search of tools to achieve efficiency and excellence in their management system to deal simultaneously with input raw materials, operation, energy, environment, human resources and social responsibility. In the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021, India’s Prime Minister committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Today, a climate emergency is a serious concern. In 2004, the United Nations Global Compact and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs published a report entitled “Who Cares Wins - Connecting Financial Market to a Changing World” in which the term “ESG” was coined. Afterwards, a working group including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) a member of 23