Cognizant commits to net zero emissions by 2030

CHENNAI: Cognizant said on Tuesday it will achieve net zero emissions by 2030, a new milestone it has set as part of the company’s ongoing environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda to become a more sustainable business.
“Climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying,” Cognizant CEO Brian Humphries said. “As a global company, we take seriously our responsibility to leverage our expertise and resources to help address climate change.I am proud to announce that Cognizant commits to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. We will also extend our expertise in cloud, IoT and AI to help our Global 2000 clients meet their sustainability goals, reduce their carbon footprints and sharpen their competitiveness," he added.
Cognizant’s commitment to net zero calls for reducing emissions by 50% from the company’s global operations and supply chain by 2030, and by 90% by 2040. Remaining emissions will be negated with carbon offsets.
Some specific initiatives to achieve net zero include steps to develop a science-based emissions reduction target that is aligned with the need to keep global average temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and submit this target for third-party validation.
This will also include ongoing investments in renewable energy and building on initial success in India, where over a quarter of Cognizant’s energy has come from renewable sources since 2020, the company said. "Over the lifetime of the goal, Cognizant will be investing in new energy efficient equipment and technologies across its owned offices and data centres throughout the world," it added.
In 2019 and 2020, Cognizant reported improved energy efficiency across several offices in India, replacing conventional power supply systems with modular systems, upgrading conventional lighting with energy efficient LED fittings and retrofitting cooling systems.