Cement Energy Environment

46 Figure 1: Evolution of Environmental Management Indian Cement Industry. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is based on the concept of Life Cycle Thinking which integrates consumption and production strategies over a whole life cycle without shifting the environmental burden. LCA is an environmental management tool for identification of priorities in process operation, product design, substitution of material usage etc by compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs of a product system, to achieve the objectives of resource conservation and reduction in energy requirements, hence minimizing the impact on the environment on sustainable basis, as per international standards ISO 14040-2006, and ISO 14044-2006. LCA is rapidly emerging as a decision-making tool for governments, stakeholders, and decision makers. Many companies around the globe are re-examining their business operations and relationships in a fundamental way. They are adapting the concept of Sustainable Development, seeking to integrate their pursuit of profitable growth with the assurance of environmental protection and quality of life for present and future generations. LCA is a very helpful iterative environmental tool, in this regard as it not only provides an account of materials and energy involved in a product or system but also measures the potentiality of various environmental impacts associated and explores environmentally suitable alternates without not doing plant trial. On top of it, Circular Economy (CE) further supplements the environmental parameters in terms of economy to explore use of resource conservation, alternate fuel and use of renewable energy for electricity generation for financial benefits and environmental good. Global Cement Industry is under intensifying pressure to curb emissions and benefit from more efficient and profitable business and operation strategy by adopting circular economy which they are well acquainted with in Indian cement plants. Still, they have a long way to go. They are exploring the concept of sustainable development, seeking to integrate their pursuit of profitable growth with the assurance of Environmental Protection and quality of life for present and future generations. Figure – 2 shows that Life Cycle Thinking leads to LCA tool with four stages with Goal and Scope (Initiation), Inventory of data, Impact assessments and finally interpretation of various environmental parameters having impact on local, regional, and global. Life Cycle Thinking