Information technology giant Wipro Limited has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 in line with the objective of the Paris Agreement to cap temperature rise to 1.5°C.

While unveiling its pledge on Earth Day, the company also set an intermediate target of a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in absolute emission levels compared to its base year of 2016-17 (April-March).

These targets are based on the globally accepted science-based targets initiative (SBTi) and reflect the deep decarbonization and operational changes Wipro will drive within its value chain to achieve net-zero within 2040, said the Bengaluru-based company.

Wipro said that it would also defer offsets until the target year, underscoring its values-driven strategy and approach. The primary levers of decarbonization drive will look into improving the energy efficiency of facilities for a sustained reduction in energy consumption; increasing use of renewable energy in owned facilities in India through private power purchase agreements and captive solar power; and combining behavioral, technological, and collaborative approaches that help reduce the carbon footprint of air travel, commuting, and purchased goods and services.

Rishad Premji, Chairman, Wipro Limited, said, “Climate change is a defining challenge for humanity. Business must be at the forefront to address it. Wipro’s climate change program goes back nearly two decades, and our net-zero goal further reaffirms our commitment. Our approach emphasizes the importance of not just reaching that goal, but doing so in a way that is aligned with Wipro’s core values of integrity and business responsibility.”

Thierry Delaporte, Chief Executive Officer, and Managing Director, Wipro Limited, said, “Wipro has long since built ecological sustainability into its operations and ways of working. Today we are committing to accelerate our actions to achieve net-zero and the deep decarbonization efforts required to get there. We believe businesses like us have a significant role to play in achieving the global greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

The company said it has made progress in shaping and delivering green IT solutions for high carbon-intensive sectors like energy and utilities, manufacturing, transportation, and consumer goods. Helping customers exit their data centers, driving virtualization and public cloud adoption, smart grids, waste management, and sustainable sourcing and packaging are a few such solutions the company has forayed into.

In November 2019, Lithium Urban Technologies Private Limited had partnered with Wipro to expand its fleet of electric vehicles for transporting its employees across its offices in India.

Wipro is among the nine founding members of the transform to the net-zero coalition. Convened by Microsoft, the coalition includes some of the world’s largest companies, representing combined annual revenues of $500 billion and assets worth $800 billion.

Another Bengaluru-based software company, Infosys, announced in November last year that it has become carbon neutral 30 years ahead of the Paris Agreement’s target year of 2050.