Page 16 - Plastics News November 2020
P. 16
Alok K Gupta takes over as Managing Director Amcor supports call for a global treaty on
& CEO of ONGC Videsh plastic pollution
K-based packaging company Amcor has announced
ndustry veteran Mr. AK Gupta has taken over as
Uits support to a new call for a global treaty on plastic
IManaging Director & CEO of ONGC Videsh, the
pollution. Amcor has joined the initiative following a
international petroleum company of India and the report titled 'The business case for a UN treaty on plastic
overseas arm of national oil and gas major ONGC. He pollution'. It is a collaboration between Boston
brings with him over three decades of experience in Consulting Group, World Wildlife Foundation and Ellen
MacArthur Foundation. According to the report, the
various capacities in domestic and overseas oil and gas
coordinated global response in the form of a UN Treaty
exploration and production operations. Before getting
will help governments and businesses create a level
elevated to MD, he has been the Director (Operations) playing field across the plastic value chain. It will
of ONGC Videsh, where he has been relentless in encourage organisations to set goals, accelerate
framing future strategies for the company in different commitments made and progress towards waste
global geographies, amidst the unprecedented management. Currently, more than 11 million metric
tonnes of plastic are entering into the ocean on an
challenges imposed by COVID-19 pandemic. During his
annual basis. The report states that the global volume of
plastic flowing the ocean is projected to increase by
three folds over the next two decades. Ellen MacArthur
stewardship, the company achieved the highest ever
production of Oil & Gas of 14.981 MMTOE in 2019-20.
Several major projects could make definitive progress Foundation founder & chair of Trustees Dame Ellen
under his able leadership and are set to contribute and MacArthur said: “Addressing the global plastic pollution
crisis requires a concerted approach to create a circular
strengthen the overall portfolio of ONGC. He possesses
economy for plastic. “A global treaty on plastic pollution
an extensive experience across the E&P value chain,
would complement and enhance existing voluntary
especially in business development earned during his action. “We encourage members of the UN Environment
tenure as Head of New businesses in Marketing in ONGC Assembly to develop an ambitious global treaty to
and Head Business development in ONGC Videsh, both accelerate the transition to a circular economy for
plastic, in which it never becomes waste nor pollution.”
for the domestic and international markets, and in
Amcor has already committed to make all its packaging
handling commercial negotiations with alliance
recyclable or reusable by 2025. As part of this
partners, regulators, customers and National Oil
commitment, the company collaborated with Nestlé
Companies. Some of his noteworthy contributions have launched the world's first recyclable flexible retort
been in implementing projects from concept to pouch leveraging Amcor's AmLite HeatFlex Recyclable
commissioning, executing projects in diverse solution late last month. In August this year, Amcor
received the Association of Plastics Recyclers' (APR)
geographies in Myanmar and Vietnam in Asia Pacific,
acknowledgement for its AmPrima PE Plus recycle-ready
Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela in Latin America – quite solution with heat-resistance. In June this year, Amcor
few of them under very trying circumstances. Mr enhanced its sustainability commitment towards
Gupta, Mechanical Engineering from IIT Roorkee, removal of plastic waste from the environment by
started his career in 1984 when he joined ONGC's joining World Wildlife Fund-led activation hub named as
ReSource.
corporate office as a young Graduate Trainee.
NOVEMBER 2020 16 Plastics News
