JK Paper Aims to Become Net Zero Emission Company By 2040, Says A S Mehta

THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF JK PAPER LISTS DOWN THE VARIOUS STEPS TAKEN BY THE COMPANY TO REDUCE ITS EMISSIONS AND COMBAT POLLUTION. 

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MR. AS MEHTA, President and Director, JK Paper

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI SET A TARGET OF BRINGING DOWN INDIA'S CARBON EMISSION TO ZERO BY 2070. WITH THIS GOAL IN MIND, THE CORPORATE SECTOR IS LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED AND IS MARCHING TOWARDS THIS DIRECTION WITH UNBEATABLE ZEAL. AMONGST THE LIST OF CORPORATIONS DOING RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS IS JK PAPER, ONE OF INDIA'S LEADING PAPER COMPANIES. IN A FREEWHEELING CONVERSATION WITH OUTLOOK BUSINESS, A S MEHTA, THE PRESIDENT, AND DIRECTOR OF JK PAPER, TALKS ABOUT THE STEPS TAKEN TOWARDS THIS GOAL, THE RESULTS YIELDED SO FAR AND THE TARGETS TO ACHIEVE GOING FORWARD.

THERE IS MISCONCEPTION THAT WE HAVE TO CUT TREES TO PRODUCE PAPER. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS?

This is a misconception in society about the paper industry. In fact, we need to plant many more trees than we need for our paper plantations. If we talk about the forest cover in the country, in the last 10 years, the increase in the forest cover has been something around two per cent. And out of that two per cent, close to one per cent has been planted by the paper industry.

Instead of giving credit to the paper industry for greening, the other way round is being talked about that the paper industry is cutting forest to produce paper. The paper produced in the country comes from trees that are grown by the leading Indian Paper producers through social farm forestry that are harvested like any other crop and not cut. We do plantation, but we harvest less than what we plant and that is the reason that JK paper is considered to be a wood positive and a carbon-positive company, so it means we plant more than what we need. Hence, people need to correct their narrative.