Infosys has turned carbon neutral 30 years ahead of 2050, the timeline was set by the Paris Agreement.
In 2011, Infosys had made a pledge to become carbon neutral by 2020. A big part of the company’s emissions used to come from the consumption of electricity required to run their offices and data centres. Given the scale of its operations; emissions from business travel and employee commutes were also high.
However, over the past years, Infosys has reduced its per capita electricity consumption by over 55 % with the aim to transition to renewable energy. In the present situation, most of the company’s workforce also operates from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has also developed a portfolio of community-based carbon offset projects to facilitate the carbon consumption reduction.
The company published its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Vision for 2030. The goals are to continue to be carbon neutral, expand reskilling initiatives to empower 10 million-plus people with digital skills and 80 million-plus lives with technology for good programs in e-governance, healthcare, and education and nurture an inclusive and gender-diverse workforce with at least 45 percent women employees.
Infosys said that over 44 % of its electricity consumption was met through renewable energy sources. It also invested in 60 MW of solar PV capacity.
It also added that over 700,000 students from India’s engineering colleges were advancing their digital skills on Infosys’ learning platform, as part of the company’s social commitment to reskilling and facilitating job creation.
N. R. Narayana Murthy, Founder of Infosys said "Right from the first day, Infosys has recognized and fulfilled all its responsibilities towards overcoming the challenges in our context. It has also taken on new responsibilities like reducing carbon emission, improving air quality, optimally using water and solar power."
Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder, and Chairman, Infosys said "As an early proponent of responsible business, we understand our obligation to integrate ESG factors into what we do, which is only increasing in importance particularly in the wake of COVID-19."
Source - Infosys newsroom, Economic Times
