Infosys Tracks Home Energy Use of Remote Workers to Reduce Emissions

Infosys has started gathering household electricity use data from remote workers, according to the offcial press release. This is done as a part firm's  larger sustainability project connected to its hybrid work style. The information is being used to calculate the environmental impact of working remotely and produce more clean energy to make up for it.

Jayesh Sanghrajka, chief financial officer of Infosys, invited employees to contribute information about their household electricity consumption in an internal email that was distributed to those who work from home. Employees were asked to answer questions about wattage of lights, if they use solar power, how much power their home appliances consume, and other relevant information. They were also asked to provide advice on how to save energy at home. Let us get into more details about this sustainability push from Infosys.

Infosys Mapping its Carbon Footprint

This change demonstrates Infosys's commitment to addressing emissions from sources outside of its physical sites. The company is taking this step since its business model now includes hybrid and remote work arrangements. The IT company wants to better understand its indirect carbon footprint and adjust mitigation strategies by tracking employee electricity usage at home. As per the company's statement, the collected data will not be utilised to track individual behaviour.

Actually, it will be used to measure work-from-home energy consumption. Infosys's sustainability strategy calls for more renewable energy and other clean energy activities to counteract the expected impact. Indian IT giant Infosys was an early adopter of institutional environmental, social, and governance initiatives. The IT multinational has long-term carbon neutrality, energy efficiency, and renewable sourcing commitments. Hybrid work reduces commuting emissions but increases domestic electricity use, so employers are struggling to evaluate and manage this trade-off.

Transparency in Data Usage a Bigger Question to Answer

Even if the data is gathered in aggregate form, the program also calls into question employee permission and data protection. To maintain employee trust, transparency regarding the collection, anonymisation, and usage of the data is essential. In general, the curriculum highlights how workplace models and sustainability principles are developing together.

In an effort to expand environmental responsibility beyond office walls and into the distributed workplace, firms such as Infosys are trying to reassess their climate strategy in light of the growing prevalence of hybrid work. Nonetheless, Infosys' strategy represents a change in the way big businesses perceive their accountability for emissions in a post-pandemic workplace. Although working from home lowers travel emissions and workplace energy use, it essentially shifts some of the energy burden to homes. Companies can make more reliable statements regarding their net environmental impact by taking this shift into account.