Mumbai, January 17: ICICI Bank has announced the adoption of state-of-the-art technology to produce drinking water from atmospheric moisture as part of its commitment to enhancing the sustainability of its operations. The Bank has installed units to produce 8,000 litres of potable water a day from atmospheric moisture, benefitting 4,200 employees at five offices– one each in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai– and two in Chennai.
The units—known as Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs)—utilise innovative technology to convert atmospheric moisture into 100% microbe-free, fresh and clean drinking water. The process of condensation transforms water vapour into droplets, which then undergo multiple filtration processes. Essential minerals are added at the end of the process. The AWGs can produce water throughout the year as they can operate in a wide range of ambient temperatures (18°C- 45°C) and relative humidity (25%- 100%).
Mr. Soumendra Mattagajasingh, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, ICICI Bank, said, “At ICICI Bank, we are committed to conducting our business sustainably and responsibly to reduce impact of our operations on the environment. Our strategy for environmental and ecological conservations is led by the 4R (reduce, reuse, recycle and responsible disposal) principle of environmental stewardship. It is estimated that the atmospheric moisture holds several times of the fresh water in all rivers on the planet. To leverage this renewable resource, we have installed the AWGs at our offices to convert water vapour into drinking water. This initiative reduces our dependence on packaged water, along with making good use of the atmospheric moisture.”
ICICI Bank continues to implement initiatives towards sustainability under the aegis of its ESG policy. The Bank has set a target of becoming carbon neutral in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by fiscal 2032. Over 180 sites of the Bank covering 4.95 million sq. ft. are Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) certified, as at March 31, 2024. The ICICI Service Centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai was declared ‘Net Zero Waste’ certified in fiscal 2024. Further, the Bank quadrupled its renewable energy consumption to 75.73 million kWh in fiscal 2024, compared to the previous year. It also planted 3.7 million trees since fiscal 2022 and created water harvesting potential of 25.8 billion litres annually in schools and water bodies.
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organization.
Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling.
