"Unreasonable" Green Goals in Reach for India's Infosys

“It had to be unreasonable; it had to be a paradigm shift,” says Parikh of the company’s green building goals. He calls the method “disruptive design” and describes the results as “an extreme conversion process” involving “design first, education second.” The goals include LEED Platinum certification as a minimum standard for all buildings, 50% reduced energy consumption, carbon neutrality, 100% renewable energy, and net-negative water consumption by 2018.

The company’s most recent sustainability report shows a promising start, though there is still a long way to go—and overall impact is increasing as the company grows (Infosys already has 12 campuses in India alone and is building two to three million square feet per year). Although consumption and emissions have gone up since 2007, the increases are far below expectations: the company is emitting 111,859 megatons less carbon and using 124 million kWh less electricity and 1,021 million liters less water than it would have if it hadn’t changed its building and business practices.