India's Energy Sector Sets New ESG Standard: ReNew Energy's 83-Point Breakthrough Reshapes Sustainability Leadership

In a milestone that signals India’s growing maturity in corporate sustainability practices, ReNew Energy Global Plc has achieved a historic score of 83 in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment—a first for any India-based energy company. This positions ReNew in the 93rd percentile among global energy firms, placing it firmly within the top 10% of energy companies worldwide, a recognition that extends far beyond domestic borders.

The Numbers Behind the Achievement

The trajectory tells a compelling story. Since its debut in the assessment during FY22, ReNew Energy Global Plc has more than doubled its score—a 102% surge that underscores accelerating progress. Year-over-year, the company registered a 14% improvement, demonstrating that this isn’t a one-time spike but rather a sustained commitment to embedding sustainability into operational DNA.

What makes this benchmark particularly significant is that crossing the 80-point threshold has long been considered the gold standard in ESG evaluation. ReNew Energy Global Plc becomes the first Indian energy company to achieve this feat, breaking through a barrier that few enterprises, regardless of geography, have overcome.

Where the Progress Concentrated

The breakdown of improvements reveals strategic prioritization. The Social pillar surged approximately 27%, reflecting deeper investment in workforce development and community impact. Governance metrics climbed roughly 23%, signaling strengthened corporate oversight and transparency frameworks. The Environmental component, while showing a more modest 6% increase, still advanced—suggesting the company balanced continued climate action with broadening its sustainability scope.

Real-World Impact Metrics

Between operational reality and assessment scores lies tangible environmental and social impact. In FY25 alone, ReNew Energy Global Plc generated over 22 billion kWh of clean electricity, translating to avoidance of more than 18.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions. The company reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 18.2% against its FY22 baseline—surpassing its own targets—while maintaining carbon neutrality for the fifth consecutive year.

Water stewardship emerged as another focal point, with ReNew saving over 540 million litres during the period—a 50% year-on-year increase that advances its trajectory toward becoming water-positive by 2030.

The Human Capital Dimension

Beyond environmental metrics, workforce composition reflects evolving corporate values. ReNew Energy Global Plc achieved a 16% gender diversity rate companywide, with women comprising 40% of the board, 12% of STEM positions, and 17% of management roles. These numbers carry weight in an industry historically dominated by male leadership. The company’s social initiatives have created positive impact across 1.7 million lives, demonstrating that sustainability extends beyond carbon accounting into genuine community benefit.

What This Means for the Industry

Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder and Chairperson for Sustainability at ReNew Energy Global Plc, contextualized the achievement: sustainability has transitioned from peripheral consideration to central business strategy. The signal is clear—India’s energy sector is maturing, with companies increasingly recognizing that environmental ambition and economic opportunity are not competing forces but complementary drivers of long-term value creation.

The Broader Context

ReNew Energy Global Plc operates with substantial scale. Its clean energy portfolio spans approximately 18.2 GW plus 1.1 GW of battery energy storage systems on a gross basis, positioning it among the world’s largest renewable energy providers. The company sources 76% of its operational electricity from renewable sources, comfortably ahead of its 2025 target of 50%. Manufacturing capacity extends to 6.4 GW of solar modules and 2.5 GW of solar cells, with expansion plans adding 4 GW of solar cell capacity in 2026.

This combination of scale, manufacturing capability, and sustained ESG performance elevation signals that ReNew Energy Global Plc is not merely chasing assessment scores but fundamentally reshaping how India’s energy sector approaches decarbonization, governance, and stakeholder value creation.