Component vendors of Wipro Ltd will now have to mandatorily disclose their emission, energy and eco-footprint to the company.

Wipro has sounded out about 40 suppliers who supply components such as computer motherboards, monitors and other ingredients that go into devices such as PCs, laptops, light bulbs to disclose the footprint.

Mr Narayan PS, Vice-President and Head-Sustainability, Wipro, told Business Line : “We are going to assess our suppliers' footprint with that of our own.” Earlier, this initiative was not extended to all suppliers but with Wipro Chairman, Mr Azim Premji's insistence on developing products that emit less carbon and is high in energy efficiency, the company has decided to go all out on this initiative.

Profile assessment

The company has initiated this exercise with a UK-based consultant and believes that it will help it build products in line with the US Environment Protection Agency's compliance requirements and the Right to Know Hazardous Substances list. Further, Wipro will assess the social risk profile and environment-related profile of all its suppliers.

Social risk profiling involves labour laws and rights of workers and how a supplier adheres to them. This has come into light recently with Focxonn recently disclosing its intent of improve working conditions of its workers.

As a part of this initiative, Wipro plans to double its collections centres, which are 17 at present. This will be undertaken by Wipro's sustainability solutions extended to verticals such as energy, utilities, retail, logistics, green computing division and Wipro EcoEnergy, which is an infrastructure business division that looks at alternative energies.

According to Wipro's estimates, it collects 260 tonnes of e-waste from its collection centres. It counts PSUs such as LIC as its clients and with e-waste norms come into effect from May.

> venkatesh.ganesh@thehindu.co.in

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