Greenpeace to rate Indian Techie bosses
By Suneetha

Greenpeace, the global environment warrior NGO, has hosted a challenge to the IT world, a Cool IT Challenge! In this ‘Climate Change Campaign to Greener Electronics’, Greenpeace tells the IT industry that ‘It’s No Time to be Sleepwalking!” and has just assessed the green credentials of the leadership of IBM, Oracle, Dell, Microsoft and other international companies.

Next, it will do the same for Indian tech bosses.

They call it the ‘Campaign that launched 1000 geeks’, and you techies are the ones who will spearhead the revolution. This is what the press release says of the campaign’s aim:

“It is not only providing IT climate solutions, but also accurate measurements of the positive impact those solutions will have overall. Using your influence to lobby for a deal at the upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen at the end of this year, which will increase demand for IT climate solutions by the rest of the economy. Taking steps to reduce your own emissions and increasing your use of renewable energies.

Who will push the IT Industry to lay its cards on the table? Greenpeace? Nope. Techies.

Techies are the IT Industry's main constituency: they are its employees, customers and fans, and when they collectively demand climate leadership, and greener gadgets, and futuristic, awe-inspiring IT climate solutions from the CEOs of major IT corporations the industry will sit up and take notice. That is why the Cool IT Challenge is running on techie power.”

Greenpeace has already rated 12 companies from the U.S. and Japan, mainly because these two are anti-Kyoto countries (Kyoto Protocol to you) and they need to change their position. Greenpeace is looking to persuade the ICT sector ‘to take business leadership in providing solutions for a run-away climate change’.

According to Greenpeace, the leadership team of IBM, Sun and Dell rate best among 12 top tech and telecom companies.  See the complete Greenpeace ranking at their website.

Greenpeace will do the same for Indian companies.  Greenpeace will rate the green credentials of Indian tech bosses in the near future.

Techgoss spoke to Greenpeace in India on what their plans for the Indian ICT sector were; and we have been informed that they will be included in the next assessment report which will be released this August.

The Indian ICT sector has some movements alright, but it is largely disintegrated. Greenpeace told techgoss that these companies will have to ‘walk a lot and quickly’. Greenpeace have made a special mention of Wipro’s Green IT program, as an initiative worth a commendation. As for the other companies worth a ‘green’ notice, Infosys is seen working on cutting down its own emission and Thought Leadership on Climate Issues. HCL came out its own carbon footprint data and reduction target for next three years. Wipro and HCL also come with their own Energy Star compliant products in the market. From a Global company side, Nokia set the target of using 50 % renewable energy by next year and currently sources 25 % of its electricity from renewable sources. IBM has launched a major initiative with its Smarter Planet programme.