Abstract

The case discusses the evolution of environmentally sustainable ‘Green IT’ practices at Wipro and its pursuit of ‘IT for Green’ as a big business opportunity. Responding to criticism from government and non-government agencies, Wipro introduced an electronic waste clearance service in 2006 for its customers. In June 2008, it unveiled an enterprise-wide charter called eco-eye to promote ecologically sustainable business practices. The eco-eye blueprint embraced several goals to reduce the organization’s carbon footprint, manage its water and energy efficiently, develop new benchmarks in recycling waste, minimize the use of hazardous substances, and motivate employees to follow green practices in their professional and personal lives. The scope of Wipro’s green initiatives included its internal infrastructure and operations, environment-friendly products, green computing solutions, and take-back services for its customers, as well as advocacy for e-waste legislation.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Role of external stakeholders in influencing a company’s environmentally sustainable business practices
• ‘Green IT’ operations and ‘IT for Green’ as a business opportunity
• The need for top management to champion enterprise-wide commitment to environmental sustainability
• and Need for regulation in an emerging economy to create a level-playing field on issues such as e-waste.

Keywords

Wipro, eco-eye, Green IT, Greenpeace India, Pollution Control Board, Azim Premji, Ecological sustainability, Carbon footprint, Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Hazardous electronic waste, Take-back services, Green data center, Virtualization and consolidation, Energy Star certification, Waste water management, Restriction on the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS), IT for Green, ISO 14001, United States Green Building Council (USGBC)