Sustainability
We have embedded ESG principles at the heart of our business and operational strategies. Our unwavering commitment to sustainable and responsible progress aims to benefit all our stakeholders, contributing to a sustainable future for everyone.
Our ESG strategy is built on the tenets of Act, Pact and Impact.
Act
We understand that impact starts with us. We act in the most responsible and sustainable manner. We ensure we use every resource efficiently to garner the maximum value.
Pact
Working together for a sustainable future, hand in hand with our clients, partners, communities and other stakeholders.
Impact
We focus on creating a sustainable impact through all our initiatives and activities.
Environmental Goals
- Achieve net zero by 2040
- 50% reduction in absolute scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2030, compared to 2020 baseline
- 80% electricity usage from renewable energy by 2030
- Zero discharge from all owned facilities
- Achieve zero waste to landfill at all owned facilities by 2025
Governance Goals
- Strengthen the sustainable supply chain process
- Integrate ESG into risk management and internal audit processes
- Be recognized among industry leaders for information security practices and data privacy standards
Social Goals
- Improve the ESG knowledge and skills of employees
- Improve gender diversity in workforce, with 40% women employees by 2030
- Increase gender representation in senior leadership roles to 30% by 2030
- Be recognized among the best employers in our key operating geographies
Key Highlights of the Year
First Indian MNC
to join the Water Resilience Coalition and endorse the CEO Water Mandate
MSCI rated HCLTech as
ESG ‘Leader’ with ‘AA’ rating
in the software and services industry
26X
water replenished than we consumed during FY23 in India
The S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023 has recognized
HCLTech as an ‘Industry Mover’
22%
reduction in per capita scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions since the base year FY20
HCLTech included in Sustainalytics’ 2023
Top-Rated ESG Companies
list in the Software and Services Industry segment and in Asia Pacific region
17.7%
increase in renewable energy consumption compared to previous year.
12.45 million square feet
office space is LEED Platinum rated
HCLTech’s flagship Net Zero
Intelligent Operations (NIO)
won the 2023 IOT Evolution Industrial IOT Product of the Year award
Increased our renewable energy mix by
46.8%
improved energy efficiency (GJ/million revenue) compared to base year FY20
Creating Sustainability Champions
HCLTech Sustainability School
We launched HCLTech Sustainability School this year to educate our 225,000+ people on various aspects of sustainability. The climate change learning series, which was the first course to be launched by the school, seeks to promote awareness and empower employees to participate in climate action. The course addresses subjects such as biodiversity threats, resource extraction and reducing one’s carbon impact. As of March 31, 2023, we have 21 hours of training material available in the school. Apart from climate change course, there are courses on topics like water, biodiversity and green software. HCLTech employees have clocked more than 10,500 hours of sustainability training.
Our people can be our biggest champions on sustainability and this learning series will provide them with practical tools so they can be agents of change within the company and their own communities.
Key Initiatives
Climate Strategy
Climate change presents risks to our business, both in terms of physical impacts and the need for transition. Clients, partners and investors are increasingly demanding reduced emissions. We acknowledge the potential risk of future carbon taxes. However, we see clear opportunities through climate action.
While transitioning to a low-carbon economy requires initial investment, it offers a favorable return on investment in many regions. Our IT services provide another avenue to assist clients in reducing their carbon footprint. As part of our net zero strategy, we have committed to limiting greenhouse gas emissions and aligning with the 1.5ºC pathway by 2030, with the goal of achieving net zero target by 2040. We have a welldefined roadmap to fulfill this commitment. Additionally, we are investing in services that support clients and partners in meeting their climate change goals. We have also identified projects to collaborate with communities for a climate-resilient future.
Alignment with SBTi
We have achieved alignment with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). The SBTi’s Target Validation Team has categorized our scope 1 and 2 and scope 3 target ambition as being in line with the 1.5°C trajectory. This recognition highlights our commitment to taking meaningful action to address climate change and demonstrates our dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with global efforts to limit global warming.
Energy Management and Efficiency
We recognize eco-efficiency as an opportunity to enhance process efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. We have implemented several energy efficiency initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption, water usage and waste generation. These efforts not only contribute to our environmental goals, but also help maintain a positive social license to operate in the communities where our campuses are located. By prioritizing eco-efficiency, we strive to balance sustainable business practices with the well-being of the environment and local communities.
Key achievements in renewable energy usage
- Renewable energy purchase has enabled the company to reduce emissions by more than 24,000 tCO2e
- Our on-site generation in India was 10% of the total renewable energy consumed in the country.
- 12% increase in the total quantity of renewable energy consumed compared to previous year.
Our Milestones Toward Net Zero
- Scope 1 and 2 absolute emission reduction of 50% by 2030 from base year of FY20
- Transition to 80% of electricity usage to renewable energy by 2030
- Scope 3 absolute emission reduction of 42% by 2030 from base year of FY20 (Boundary coverage is 89.5%)
- Achieve zero waste to landfill at all owned facilities by 2025
Best Practices
- Electric vehicles for employee conveyance
- Daylight sensor installation for energy conservation
- Automatic tubes cleaning system for water-cooled chillers to enhance performance
- Sensor taps for water efficiency and conservation
- Cool Roof with Solar Reflectance Index to reduce excessive heating of buildings
- Replacing end-of-life equipment
- Ambient weather and air monitoring system to maintain indoor air quality
- Critical rooms’ temperature monitoring to address critical gaps in HVAC to maintain optimal server temperatures
- SMART energy meters to report and monitor all energy consumption
- High Side Chiller Operational Performance Improvement to conserve energy and reduce emissions
- HVAC Performance Improvement to maintain energy efficiency
- Adopting energy efficient lighting
- Implementing effective utilization of UPS
- Elevator and STP optimization for energy conservation
- Water Conservation through rainwater harvesting and usage of treated water
Water Stewardship
Water conservation is a vital aspect of our commitment to driving progress sustainably and responsibly. We have implemented measures to improve operational efficiency and conserve water resources. These efforts include reusing water, treating sewage water for flushing and landscaping, adopting rainwater harvesting, using anti-scaling agents for water storage and implementing groundwater conservation measures. In FY23, these initiatives allowed us to conserve 31,036 kl of groundwater. Additionally, we have installed sensor-based water taps and implemented water-efficient operational controls.
Through water recharge structures and our company’s community initiatives, we have increased the quantity of water replenished in FY23 by around 50% compared to FY22. We have helped replenish water 26X more times than the water we consume in India.
We have strengthened our commitment to sustainability and water conservation by becoming the first company headquartered in India to join the Water Resilience Coalition. We have also endorsed The CEO Water Mandate, an original project of the UN Secretary-General, which is a collaboration between the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the Pacific Institute, aimed at promoting corporate water stewardship globally. Our support for this directive underscores our dedication to sustainable practices. The Water Resilience Coalition, which aims to alleviate water stress by 2050, has welcomed us as a member, recognizing our efforts to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Dr. Nidhi Pundir, Vice President and Global Head – CSR, HCLTech, and Dr. Santanu Basu, Project Director – HCL Harit, joined deliberations at the UN Water Conference 2023.
Waste Management
HCL Foundation’s Clean Noida program is raising awareness around sanitation and waste management among citizens.
Clean Noida is an ambitious commitment by HCLTech
to transform Noida into a globally recognized clean city.
This initiative encompasses promoting environmentally
conscious behavior, beautification, sanitation and waste
management. We are dedicated to raising awareness
about proper waste management practices and have
implemented innovative solutions to segregate waste
effectively. At HCLTech, our waste profile primarily consists of e-waste and non-hazardous waste such as food and
paper waste. To achieve our goal of zero waste to landfill
at all owned facilities by 2025, we have implemented
measures such as recycling paper waste, disposing of
hazardous waste following regulatory guidelines and
utilizing leftover food and garden waste for creating
manure. Furthermore, we have eliminated single-use
plastics across all our campuses in
India in 2019-20
Waste Management Mechanism at HCLTech
E-Waste
Conventional lights have been replaced with LED lights. Projectors have also been replaced with LEDs, which have a longer lifecycle, thus contributing significantly to power consumption reduction and simultaneously reducing waste.
Paper
Initiatives including printer pin deployment, printer on alternate floors, setting a maximum printing limit, double-sided printing and font size reduction are supported with the goal of minimizing paper usage. Paper has been significantly conserved as a result of these actions.
Plastic
With the use of alternate arrangements, HCLTech has made its campuses in India free from single-use plastics in 2019 in accordance with the central and state government directives.
Other hazardous waste
Other hazardous wastes that include bio-medical waste and sanitary napkin waste are disposed in a safe manner.
Davos Dialogues
HCLTech collaborated with governments, businesses and civil society from around the world at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023 in Davos. Our leadership team actively participated in thought-provoking sessions and had the privilege of hosting global leaders. Together, we explored solutions and address the diverse crises that our world faces under the overarching theme of “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.”
Roshni Nadar Malhotra at
“The Aquapreneur Revolution” session.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCLTech, joined former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and other distinguished leaders at “Leading the Charge through Earth’s New Normal” - a session to discuss transformative solutions and global collaboration to build a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future. She was also part of “The Aquapreneur Revolution” - a session to announce the winners of The Global Freshwater Innovation Challenge under HCL Group and UpLink’s quest to find innovative Roshni Nadar Malhotra at solutions for freshwater conservation.
HCLTech CEO & Managing Director, C Vijayakumar, joined the deliberations at Davos 2023.
C Vijayakumar, CEO & Managing Director, HCLTech, shared his vision at “Preparing One Billion People for Tomorrow’s Economy” - a session to discuss critical interventions needed to skill one billion people by 2030 in a world being rapidly transformed by technology.
Jill Kouri, Chief Marketing Officer, HCLTech (second from right), joined UN Women’s Generation Equality pop-up panel discussions at Davos 2023.
The HCLTech Pavilion at WEF underscored our unwavering commitment to sustainability as it operated entirely on green energy. In line with our emphasis on diversity and gender equality, we hosted the UN Women’s Gender Equality Hub at our pavilion. It served as a vibrant space for daily video check-ins, pop-up panel discussions and engaging fireside chats, empowering individuals and fostering meaningful conversations.