GRI 102 - Wipro: Driving emissions reductions through data and renewable energy

About Wipro

Wipro Limited is a leading global information technology, consulting, and business process services company with a presence in over 65 countries and a workforce of more than 240,000 employees. With a legacy of over 80 years, Wipro has long recognized the urgency of climate action and has consistently embedded sustainability into its core business ethos.

Its operations span diverse geographies and sectors, making climate change and energy management central to its sustainability strategy. Its commitment to transparency and accountability is reflected in its annual sustainability disclosures, which align with global frameworks such as GRI, BRSR, CDP, TCFD, and ISSB. Wipro was among the first companies globally to commit to achieving Net-Zero for Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2040, with intermediate science-based targets for 2030, as a founding member of the ‘Transform to Net-Zero coalition’.

Reporting background

Wipro has been reporting with the GRI Standards since 2008, making it one of the earliest adopters of sustainability reporting in India. Over the past two decades, the company has consistently disclosed its climate-related impacts and performance using GRI 305: Emissions and GRI 302: Energy, with third-party assurance to ensure transparency and credibility. From this strong foundation, they have started the transition from GRI 305 and GRI 302 to the newly-released GRI 102: Climate Change, and GRI 103: Energy. 

This long-standing practice has enabled Wipro to build robust systems for tracking, managing and reducing its climate and energy impacts. The GRI Standards have significantly helped the company to identify its material topics, set boundaries for disclosures, and engage stakeholder meaningfully. Specifically, the GRI Standards have guided Wipro in tracking its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, while gradually expanding its capabilities to report on Scope 3 emissions.

Using GRI has also facilitated alignment with other frameworks. In 2021, Wipro became the first Indian company to receive Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approval for Net-Zero targets, committing to reduce emissions across its operations and value chain. GRI’s structured approach helped Wipro identify hotspots, set science-based targets, integrate climate action into its business strategy, and achieve cross-framework alignment.

The context 

In 2018, Wipro started working with the SBTi to set a pathway for carbon reduction. Reporting on GHG emissions for nearly 10 years through the GRI Standards gave the company the confidence to start exploring target setting.

The science-based platform offered by SBTi provided a robust methodology not only for setting targets, but also for creating a pathway towards decarbonization. In 2021, Wipro received SBTi-approved targets for Scope 1, 2, and 3.

The targets and implementation pathway were aligned with the latest climate science and the goals of the Paris Agreement. Setting ambitious GHG reduction targets across a global enterprise involves navigating complex supply chains, diverse regulatory environments, and varied energy infrastructures. Wipro therefore set interim targets for 2030 to help keep its long-term trajectory on track.

The challenge 

Access to renewable energy

Wipro’s operations span various states in India, creating an uneven landscape for sourcing renewable energy. Its energy transition has faced hurdles resulting from differences in regulations across the states in which it operates.

In some states, green tariffs were the only avenue available for purchasing renewable energy. Although this option was more expensive than grid electricity, Wipro opted in as part of its broader commitment. At the same time, the company worked with industry groups and monitored government regulations, enabling it to sign Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in several states.

More recently, Wipro invested in Group Captive arrangements, which significantly increased renewable energy availability. While challenges remain, including time-of-day renewable energy availability and lack of open access in some states, the company has mapped out a trajectory to close the remaining 16% gap towards its goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy.

Scope 3 measurement and mitigation

Measuring and mitigating Scope 3 emissions, which account for over 85% of Wipro’s total emissions footprint, has been a challenge primarily due to the evolving nature of measurement methodologies.

While Scope 1 and 2 emissions are more direct and relatively straightforward to quantify, Scope 3 emissions span a wide range of indirect sources - from supplier operations and employee commuting to business travel and purchased goods.

Tracking emissions across different Scope 3 categories requires systems capable of recording relevant data on business travel, employee commuting, suppliers and other sources. Aligning stakeholders and business units across the organization - including procurement, facilities and finance - also required sustained awareness-building around the importance of climate action.

Over time, Wipro has been able to align these functions around a common goal. This has enabled the company to build systems and refine methodologies to quantify emissions and set clear reduction targets.

Wipro is also working with different stakeholders on planning and implementing emissions reduction initiatives. For example, it established the Wipro Initiative for Supplier Engagement (WISE) program to work with small and medium-sized suppliers, obtain emissions data and build their sustainability capacity.

Target setting and mitigation hierarchy alignment

Another challenge was ensuring that targets were not only science-based, but also aligned with the mitigation hierarchy outlined in GRI 102: Climate Change, including for target setting disclosure. This meant prioritizing energy efficiency, renewable energy sourcing, and process optimization before considering offsets.

The approach

Wipro has committed to Net-Zero emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3 by 2040, with near-term targets for 2030:

• Scope 1 & 2: 59% reduction from a 2017 baseline
• Scope 3: 55% reduction from a 2020 baseline

The company has adopted a two-fold approach to reducing operational emissions from energy consumption.

Energy efficiency

Recognizing that energy efficiency is the first step in reducing its energy footprint, Wipro designs new facilities to optimize overall performance, with a focus on both efficiency and user experience.

Energy transition

Wipro’s transition to renewable energy has relied on instruments including Green Tariffs, Power Purchase Agreements and, more recently, Group Captive arrangements. The company targets 100% renewable energy by 2030, with 94% of its purchased electricity currently coming from renewable sources.

Data-driven energy management

Energy performance is supported by Wipro’s Global Energy Command Centre, which brings together data from Building Management Systems, IoT-enabled devices and sensors to monitor and optimize energy use across its facilities.

Around 17 million square feet of office space in India is connected to the system, covering 90% of Wipro’s total office space. This has helped identify high-consumption areas, improve operational efficiency and guide equipment upgrades.

Wipro has also integrated energy efficiency into the design of new buildings, drawing on input from engineers, architects and climate scientists and incorporating features such as natural ventilation and innovative cooling technologies.

The result

As a result of these practices, latest data (from the 2025-26 financial year) shows that Wipro has achieved:

• 92% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions, from 195,453 tCO₂e to 15,724 tCO₂e
• 65% reduction in Scope 3 emissions, from 421,527 tCO₂e to 170,928 tCO₂e

The company has also made significant progress on energy efficiency. Since 2018, Wipro has saved 5.22 million units of electricity per annum on a cumulative basis, resulting in net savings worth INR 41.887 million per annum.

Energy-efficient design measures have also contributed to an Energy Performance Index of 65 units per square meter in Wipro’s new campuses in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Wipro’s sustainability program spans two decades, supported by sustained management commitment. This has enabled the company to direct significant investment towards energy efficiency and its broader energy transition journey.

Lessons learnt and conclusions

With nearly two decades of experience in sustainability reporting and climate action, Wipro highlights several lessons for organizations embarking on or refining their GHG emissions reduction journey:

• Start with a clear vision and invest early: A well-defined sustainability vision can help guide decisions and align stakeholders, while early investment in digital infrastructure such as GECC and BMS can strengthen real-time monitoring, data integrity and centralized management.
• Balance ambition with feasibility: Ambitious targets should be supported by clear roadmaps, internal assessments, peer benchmarking and scenario planning. Realistic interim milestones, continuous monitoring and course correction can help keep long-term objectives on track.
• Collaborate to accelerate: Sustainability objectives require coordinated action across functions and geographies, as well as engagement throughout the value chain, including with suppliers, customers, employees and communities.
• Maintain a long-term perspective: Climate action requires consistency, patience and resilience. Strategies should be able to evolve in response to changing climate conditions, stakeholder expectations and business realities, without sacrificing long-term goals for short-term gains.