The subject of clean energy has been gaining credence rapidly in the recent past with stakeholder awareness at its peak. Related to it concepts such as circular economy and reduction of carbon footprint have been doing the rounds. LTI which is India’s sixth largest IT services provider has committed its focus to attain carbon neutral quotient for its India operations by 2030. LTI’s Head-CSR & Sustainability, Shipra Sharma takes India CSR through the company’s plan and framework to achieve this objective. Excerpts of the interaction follows:
Q. Please provide a detailed background of LTI’s Carbon Neutrality Project.
Climate change is real! We can currently see the glimpse of its vandalization and foresee the calamities related to it. The effect of global warming and resource inadequacy has created imbalance hampering the entire ecosystem. To mitigate the impact, several initiatives have been undertaken nationwide and at global scale.
To contribute to the national goals as a responsible corporate and drawing inspiration from Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) is committed to become Carbon Neutral for its India Operations by the year 2030.
We are taking long-term actions to reduce our carbon footprint. For the Carbon Neutrality project, we have charted a systematic 10 year’s roadmap considering base year as FY18-19, with year-on-year initiatives, targets, monitoring and maintaining greenhouse gas inventory followed by reporting the progress in our sustainability report released annually on public domain after third-party assurance. Before making our neutrality commitment public, a comprehensive study and approach as per GRI guidelines was undertaken while framing the roadmap for the project comprising stakeholder engagement, materiality assessments, to name a few.
Being an IT company, emissions from our operations are primarily associated with electricity usage for running our offices (Scope 2 emissions) and travel related emissions (Scope 3 emissions). In order to subside the emissions and meet our neutrality target, we have taken emission reduction targets for four domains, viz.
Conservation of energy through optimization of HVAC, UPS systems and replacement of conventional lighting systems.
Increasing share of renewable energy through green energy procurement and installation of roof top solar PV.
Reducing travel footprint by encouraging our employees to book direct flights to avoid transit hubs and leverage videoconferencing to reduce non-essential business travel. We have introduced a ‘Green Week’ initiative to curb travel emissions where the employees are asked to not travel for a week in a month. We are also in discussion with airlines to procure emission offsets and choose fuel efficient airlines with biofuel capability
Increasing and improving carbon sink through our CSR initiatives of afforestation/reforestation and Solar PV installation in rural schools where our virtual learning programs are executed. As a volunteering initiative we have recently launched the 1Step miles app which has a two-fold objective of fitness and environment conservation. Through this app, an employee contributes to planting a sapling by walking certain kms which are tracked by the app.
Leveraging our technology and skills, and by including our employees too in this journey through volunteering activities, we are taking step by step initiatives in these four focus areas to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change and foster climate-resilient development.
Q. What is the uniqueness of this project?
The distinctive characteristic of the project is that it is a voluntary initiative of combating climate change and we are among the first few IT companies in India to declare our commitment publicly on neutrality and report our progress on UNSDGs and UNGC (United Nations Global Compact). The project involves multiple stakeholders and joint efforts to achieve a common goal of a larger ecosystem.
Talking about our target of increasing the renewable energy share, LTI voluntarily took the more expensive and responsible route of reducing the emissions as much as possible at the source by optimizing our appliances and introducing initiatives like ‘Green Week’ to reduce travel footprint. With increasing awareness amongst our employees to travel less and opt for digital alternatives like video conferencing, and participate in volunteering activities like tree plantation drives, we as a company feel motivated to achieve our target.
Leveraging our technology, as a part of our 1Step CSR volunteering initiative, we have created and launched 1Step Miles, an app for our employees, which was Introduced with a twofold objective- to promote fitness and wellness amongst LTI’tes and to contribute towards carbon neutrality efforts.
Q. Can this project be replicated in Indian Industry? How can it be implemented in different companies of the same sector and other sectors?
The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by pursuing efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 2°C and preferably to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Ahead of this UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change, India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) and pledged to improve the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels.
As we are in a COVID-19 scenario where the ground situation is evolving every day with new challenges, we need resource efficiency more than ever before. Macro-level programs fueled with corporate initiatives could pave the way for a more resilient planet.
Taking these notions further, LTI has committed to become carbon neutral. The carbon neutrality project and our roadmap is a replicable model across the Indian industry for all IT/ITES sectors. For other sectors, all office-based operations (leased/owned) can follow the roadmap we have set by understanding emissions from their operations and scaling the targets accordingly. The targets, measures can be then verified by an external agency for getting a validated outcome.
Q. How did the project help LTI in achieving/reaching towards National/International standards?
In its INDC, India has pledged to improve the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33% to 35% below 2005 levels, to increase the share of non-fossil fuels-based electricity to 40% and to enhance its forest cover which will absorb 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.
Operating in adherence to INDC and combating climate change voluntarily, LTI’s contribution in meeting national/international goals will be accountable by its carbon neutrality commitment. LTI annually reported its performance on the Carbon Disclosure Project starting with Score D and now elevated to Score B, showcasing our efforts towards a common global goal.
Q. Please specify the tangible and intangible benefits of the project.
Tangible: Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the business-as-usual scenario (BAU), increase in carbon sink by afforestation and renewable projects, are the tangible benefits of the project which will directly contribute to mitigate climate change in the larger ecosystem.
In FY20, LTI India operations have reduced 18% electricity consumption as per BAU, share of renewable energy was 23.7% as a result we mitigated 7606 tCO2 GHG emissions. Through CSR initiatives, LTI off-setted estimated GHG emission of 3732 tCO2
Intangible: The project has a spiralling effect which is not only limited to mitigating climate change but also has a profound impact on the communities. Increasing the carbon sink through CSR projects of tree plantation and solar PV installation in rural schools will eventually add value to the community by increasing employment opportunities and better education. The solar PV installed in rural schools provides uninterrupted and continuous supply of electricity where our virtual learning programs are executed by LTI volunteers. This has reduced cancellation of virtual classes due to uninterrupted power supply.
We contribute by volunteering in programs under the 3 thrust areas i.e., Education, Employment and Environment which is also one of the intangible benefits with dual objectives where our employees contribute in increasing the carbon sink additionally earning a sense of satisfaction.
About Shipra Sharma
Squadron Leader (Retd) Shipra Sharma, spearheading the CSR pursuit of LTI, Her experiences as a CSR practice lead at a technology firm involves transforming lives of marginalized communities by leveraging technology and uplifting them from the bottom of the pyramid.
Her first volunteering assignment was when she taught the local village children to read and write. The experience influenced her understanding of the society wherein boys were being preferred over girls to continue education and be able to move on as bread earners for the family. Since then, she has worked extensively in strategizing high-impact inclusive development programs to empower women and tap their potential in contributing to the global economy.
Having worked earlier in the Indian Air Force where again her role spanned initiating several welfare programs for military personnel and disaster relief operations.
About LTI (formerly L&T Infotech)
LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions Company helping more than 400 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 31 countries, it goes the extra mile for the clients and accelerate their digital transformation with LTI’s Mosaic platform enabling their mobile, social, analytics, IoT and cloud journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, its unique heritage gives unparalleled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries.
You learn from the Interview
With the detrimental effects of global warming already known to us, it is pertinent that humankind addresses it on priority to offset further damage. Corporates have an equally important role to play in this pursuit. As a technology enabler, LTI’s focus on attaining carbon neutrality identity for India operations by 2030 is heartening. Initiatives that extend beyond the companies’ boundaries and sphere is an enlightening insight gathered from the interview. One is hopeful that collective wisdom of such responsible Corporate Citizens will eventually tide way for a healthier and better tomorrow.
(India CSR, June 25, 2021)
