Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced its plan to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions across 'Scope 1' and 'Scope 2' by 70 percent by 2025, and to achieve net-zero emission by 2030. In its recently published Integrated Annual Report 2020-21, the company has set forth this new carbon reduction goal after having achieved the previous target of reducing its specific carbon footprint by half by 2020, ahead of schedule.

In FY 2021, the specific carbon footprint of TCS across Scope 1 and Scope 2 was lower by 61.6 percent compared to the baseline year FY 2008. "At the core of TCS' strategy to reduce its carbon footprint is improved energy efficiency through the addition of more green buildings to the company's real estate portfolio, reduction of IT system power usage, and the use of TCS Clever Energy, which leverages IoT, machine learning and AI to optimize energy consumption across campuses," said a company statement.

'TCS' Vision 25x25' is a strategic lever that delinks TCS' business growth from campus expansion and brings down emissions related to employee commutes and business travel. Other elements of its net-zero aspiration include greater use of renewable sources of energy and carbon removal offsets.

"Our net-zero goal underlines our renewed commitment to environmental stewardship. To curb emissions and limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, all organizations will have to reimagine existing business models and aim for sustainable growth," said N G Subramaniam, COO & Executive Director, TCS.

"We are in a unique position to combine our purpose-driven world view with digital innovation to not only drive our own sustainability but also partner with customers, civil society and governments to lead and shape solutions for a sustainable future," Subramaniam said.

TCS' environmental footprint was significantly reduced in FY 2021 due to the large-scale switch to remote working, enabled by its 'Secure Borderless Workspaces' operating model, as per the company.

With over 97 percent of employees working from home throughout the year, resource consumption, emissions, and wastes were significantly lower.

During the year, the company's absolute energy consumption came down by 46.6 percent over the prior year, and absolute carbon footprint (Scope 1 + Scope 2) by 48.8 percent. TCS will also continue its efforts in water conservation and waste management through reduction and recycling initiatives, it added.