Indian IT industry big contributor to business-driven air travel and carbon footprint: Report

Implementing sustainable travel policies such as flight economy, opting for non-stop flights, trains or buses, and limiting frequent flyer trips are among the recommendations made to IT companies in a report on “Urgency and Potential of Aviation Impact Mitigation in India”.

cBalance.in, a knowledge-centric solutions center specializing in building tools and developing strategies to support management and mitigation of the impact of the climate crisis, said the Indian IT industry has made a significant contribution to business-led air travel.

Road polluting the climate

“An airplane passenger emits 285 kg of CO2 in a 1000 kilometer journey₂ Per kilometer, even a rail passenger in an air-conditioned executive class compartment produces 30 kg of emissions, while the same passenger in a comfortable AC bus emits 70 kg. “Frankly, air travel is the most climate-polluting mode of travel, regardless of its efficiency benefits,” he said.

Other recommendations for IT companies include complying with emission targets recommended by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), motivating employees with incentives such as bonuses for adherence to company emission targets, and using low-carbon travel modes.

Carbon reduction targets

cBalance.in also said that among eight global IT companies assessed on their carbon reduction emission targets and business travel reduction performance (study period 2019-20 to 2023-24), five companies indicated the need for further efforts to achieve climate targets.

“Wipro Technologies has proven to be a pioneer in reducing business travel emissions among India-based IT companies since 2015. Its travel policy also includes rail travel,” he said.

His recommendations to policymakers and managers included introducing policies to limit aviation emissions, introducing a carbon tax on air travel, discouraging airlines from operating short-haul flights and prioritizing investment in high-speed, and developing regional rail infrastructure to encourage rail travel.

Protests by community

The report also assessed the impacts, resistance and protests of local communities towards the same through examination of two airport expansion projects – Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru and a proposed airport at Parandur in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu.

“In the KIA case, agriculture was the main source of income for most of the displaced villages. With the seizure of their land, they lost their primary source of income. About 4,000 acres of land were acquired and many families were displaced. Displaced residents faced problems such as inadequate compensation, loss of livelihoods and limited opportunities for resettlement,” the report said.