Go green: Latest corporate buzzword

Go green: Latest corporate buzzword
Times of India, June 5, 2009, Page 28

Meenakshi Sinha TNN, New Delhi

Going green is the new corporate buzzword. In recent months, several firms have taken steps towards creating a more environment-friendly business model and raising global awareness over ecological concerns. However, green acivists are far from impressed.

As part of a mobile waste management drive, Nokia India has set up over 1,300 recycling bins across Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon and Ludhiana since January, 2009. The campaign collected over three tonnes of waste, including 10,000 handsets, within the first 45 days of its launch, says Ambrish Bakaya of Nokia India.

Similarly, Western Digital has designed an eco-friendly GreenPower hard drive. “The drive enables energy-conservative systems like PCs, server and consumer electronics with higher capacities,” says Sharad Srivastava of Western Digital.

Reiterating the message that every small step makes a lot of difference in preserving earth’s resources, a music channel this week released a two-minute video with a public message brought home by popular VJ Cyrus Sahukar. The video ends with Sahukar listing ways of making a difference such as taking shorter showers and planting trees.

Philips Electronics India has called for a phasing-out of the incandescent light bulb as well as the introduction of a green logo on consumer electronic products. “We are constantly taking concrete steps to become a greener company,” says Rajiv Chopra, head of lighting for Philips. Green products form 15% of Philips’ revenue stream.

Patni Computer Systems’ centre in Noida has zero blinds and uses natural light and heat from fin shaped natural light reflectors. “The two upcoming facilities in Hyderabad and Pune will also be developed on green architecture,” says Anirudh Patni.

However, award-winning wildlife filmmaker Mike Pandey says that corporate houses must take the blame for current ecological disorders and bemoans the lack of strong initiatives. “You are taking from earth and plundering its natural resources like oceans and rivers. The illusionary bubble of global economy has collapsed. Our future will come from the food and environment. And that’s where their money should be invested,” he says. P N Vasanthi, director, CMS, asserts that unless corporates clean up their own act, most of their initiatives become notional. “Corporates play a big and direct role on environment-related issues. They need to show concrete results,” she says.
(With inputs from Shonali Ghoshal)