As the Taj Mahal gets inelegantly dressed in a yellow cloak amidst the problems of a perennial lack of resources, corporate India sets up green departments. Find out their moves towards eco-viability
Be it to genuinely make the environment greener or to be branded as a green firm or to avoid their projects being shut on grounds of being environmentally slack, several Indian companies have set up green departments. These departments strive to preserve the environment while attaining good profits. As a result, the demand for hiring green professionals is on the rise. Whatever be the actual motive of the firm, it’s a win-win situation for all – the green firm, the green professional and Mother Nature.
The Greener Estate
The field of real estate is going greener by hiring environmental designers, architects, managers and engineers. Developers like Rahejas, the Wadhwa group and Nandlals have incorporated more of green in their projects. Right from using recyclable paper for their brochures to carrying out demolitions in eco-friendly ways (like uprooting trees from their roots and replanting them elsewhere), developers are striving to earn the tag of ‘the green developer’. This tag simplifies the process of acquiring some of the many permits required to develop new projects. With corporate heavyweights like Wipro, Microsoft, Cognizant and Infosys already operating out of green spaces or planning to in the near future, India will clear 45 million square feet of land for green buildings, the Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) study estimates. “There will be a huge demand for people who can certify green buildings, and architects and project planners who are adept in green building norms” observes Abhishek Kiran Gupta, JLL’s chief of research and intelligence services.
It’s A Happy World
Products like gadgets, batteries, clothes and eatables have to undergo strict environmental screening before they are made available in the market. Aegis, a BPO outsourcing solutions company’s back office has a separate sustainability team called Happy World. Happy World consists of 55 employees who work on green issues. They assess the varied impacts of their products on the environment. They are gathering the ream cover packets of A4-sized papers, which would normally be discarded as waste. These covers are being converted into spiral notepads. Apart from taking several energy-saving measures to reduce overall consumption, initiatives have been taken in the areas of air-conditioning, lighting and raw power.
Bank on E-Statements
Private as well as nationalised banks have creative teams brainstorming on green measures. The most commendable idea executed was to provide customers with an option of receiving their bank statements in an e-format. Several customers have opted for this option because it involves only a few clicks to access one’s monthly bank statement and saves the trouble of physically going to the branch. This has not only been beneficial for customers and our environment, but also the banks who save their capital and energy resources.
Tap Hydrogeology to Sip Cola
Tapping the right knowledge of hydrogeology (dealing with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil) aids companies utilising water resources to cut down on their energy levels massively. Coca-Cola India has an environment team led by a general manager. Five people at the company level are dedicated to sustainability. They are one of the few companies to have a hydrogeologist. Each of their bottling plants has its own dedicated resources and as a result, none of the plants overuses any natural resources.
Structural Greenness
A company’s structure and the operations carried out in any office impact the environment. In India, data centres are striving to go green by emphasising on their structure and daily operations. Wipro, a global IT company, enables eco-sustainability initiatives for customers. They build green data centres (or ecooperationalise existing centres) so that they consume 10 to 20 percent less energy. Talking of eco-friendly structures, Infosys has the first commercial radiant-cooled building in India. Their Hyderabad building proves that radiant cooling is more efficient than conventional air conditioning.
Routes and Rupees
Several courses devoted to green technology have been introduced in India, like BSc in Environmental Science, BE in Environmental Engineering, BTech in Environmental Engineering, Carbon Finance Course, MSc in Environmental Science, MTech/ME in Environmental Engineering, ME in Hydraulics and Flood Engineering, PhD and MPhil in Environmental Management and a PhD in Environmental Protection and Management. Many renowned educational institutions like The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University, Delhi University, Pune University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai and the Indian Institution of Technology (IIT) offer these courses.
A person with an experience of two years can draw a salary of Rs. 5 to 7 lakhs per year, the compensation package of a chief sustainable officer can go up to Rs. 40 to 50 lakhs a year. It is estimated that the hiring of such professionals would see a phenomenal increase to the tune of 60 percent. Executive search firm GlobalHunt Director Sunil Goel said that hiring of green professionals began a decade ago, but picked up steam 5 to 6 years ago when many industries faced mandatory regulations to have environment experts and green departments to manage waste and hazard.
The Young Green Achievers
Nikhil Arora,25 & Alejandro Velez,25 Founders of Back to the Roots
A 100 percent sustainable business selling grow-your-own mushroom kits using a million pounds of recycled coffee grounds. “It is in our hands to set a new course, and show that taking care of the planet, of our community, and of business profits can go hand in hand!”
Param Jaggi, 17, Founder & CEO of Ecoviate
EcoViate created an algae-filled device that fits over a car’s tailpipe, turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. “The biggest need in the green profession is a commencement of easy-to-use, efficient products. The algae-based device is inexpensive, disposable. There are over 60 million cars in India; each releasing a mass amount of carbon dioxide.”
Vivek Nair, 23, Chief Executive of Damascus Fortune
“Our technology of converting carbon emissions into carbon nanostructures converts pollution into something which is as valuable as gold. The composites made out of carbon nanostructures can replace aluminium, building materials, plastics etc, thereby reducing the emissions contributed by those industries. The result is advanced functional materials used in the construction and development of India and rest of the world.”
Volume 2 Issue 8
