"Today’s business environment is full of challenges, from managing climate change and securing data to building inclusive cultures. Sustainability helps us manage that complexity, making us agile, resilient, and broadening the possibilities to create value for both our business and society."
- Rohit Kapoor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Environmental highlights
~64%
decrease in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions since 2019
~54%
renewable energy across our global portfolio
~19%
decrease in Scope 3 GHG emissions since 2019
~74%
occupancy in LEED/green certified buildings
Across our global operations, we are finding a better way forward as we work to mitigate our carbon footprint, improve energy conservation, minimize waste, and implement more sustainable practices.
Environmental strategy
We aim to reach net zero (for Scope 1 and 2 emissions) by 2045 by reducing GHG emissions, improving operational efficiency, harnessing renewable energy, exploring nature based solutions, and engaging with our suppliers to help reduce our indirect emissions. Dedicated leaders, board oversight, and our global employee network help drive this work.
We also utilize partnerships and joint initiatives that bring together collective expertise and resources to drive meaningful environmental impact. Additionally, since 2021 we have worked with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) to align our sustainability strategy, including our net zero strategy, with the UNGC’s principles.
Certifications
EXL maintains rigorous management system certifications across our global delivery centers. All delivery centers are certified to ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems) and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems), ensuring consistent environmental and safety standards across our global operations. Our delivery centers in India and the Philippines hold additional certification to ISO 50001:2018 (Energy Management Systems), reflecting our commitment to energy performance improvement in our highest-energy-use locations. Certifications are maintained through regular third-party surveillance and recertification audits, underpinned by our continuous improvement culture.
Governance and environmental leadership
Environmental compliance
EXL’s EHS policy ensures that all workplace policies, procedures, systems, and practices are optimized, including those related to reducing environmental impacts. All of our delivery centers worldwide are ISO 14001:2015-certified and ISO 45001:2018-certified. Additionally, our delivery centers in India and the Philippines are ISO 50001:2018-certified. We include environmental criteria in our procurement onboarding process through our global procurement policy.
Accelerating towards Net Zero
EXL measures and reports greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 categories in alignment with the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. Scope 1 emissions cover direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by EXL, including fuel combustion in company vehicles and on-site generators. Scope 2 emissions cover indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, and cooling, reported on both a location-based and market-based basis. Scope 3 emissions encompass indirect value chain emissions, including business travel, employee commuting, purchased goods and services, and supply chain emissions. Our annual GHG inventory is independently verified to ensure accuracy and comparability. Year-over-year emissions data and progress against our reduction targets are reported in our annual Sustainability Report.
We are working to integrate our net zero goal into our business and accelerate our progress by:
1. Establishing and communicating sustainability objectives, goals, targets, and detailed roadmaps to achieve them.
2. Engaging our partners, clients, investors, employees, and key stakeholders.
3. Promoting sustainability-related innovations.
4. Enhancing supply chain sustainability.
5. Analyzing climate-related risks and opportunities on an ongoing basis.
6. Building greater climate resilience.
7. Transitioning to a greater use of renewable energy and maximizing energy efficiency.
8. Leveraging nature-based solutions, including reforestation, water conservation, and zero-waste initiatives.
9. Maintaining transparency, including consistent reporting and disclosures.
10. Participating in community development activities that align with our environmental goals.
Supply chain sustainability
We expect suppliers, agents, and subcontractors to operate in line with our core values, applicable laws, and Supplier Standards of Conduct, which address human rights, labor standards, workplace safety, inclusion and belonging, freedom of association, anti-discrimination, ethical conduct, and environmental sustainability.
Our supplier onboarding questionnaire collects background on supplier policies and performance related to sustainability matters, helps ensure that they operate in alignment with our core values, and measures their ability to adhere to our supplier standards of conduct. Diverse suppliers can submit their information profile through our supplier diversity registration form.
For more information, see our Supply Chain Sustainability Confluence 2025 report.
Water management
EXL is committed to becoming water positive, contributing more to the sustainable management and conservation of water than we are consuming. We aim to achieve this by using innovative water-saving technologies, experimenting with sensor-based water coolers that reduce water waste, and exploring pond rejuvenation projects.
At EXL, our water consumption primarily comes from domestic water use at our office facilities. Most of our offices are in metropolitan locations and within multi-tenant buildings, where we aim to install the best sustainable solutions that are available. Also, the majority of our leased office spaces are LEED-certified, which requires that offices have zero wastewater discharge, and maximize water re-use and recycling.
Globally, we monitor our water consumption, which informs our conservation efforts, helping us to implement efficient water management strategies. We report on year-over-year consumption data in our annual Sustainability Report.
Waste management
Across our business, we measure waste generation and the proportion of waste that is recycled to help minimize our environmental footprint and promote circular economy practices.
We aim to achieve zero waste to landfill by increasing recycling, reducing waste, and streamlining systems and processes. E-waste from redundant technology is recycled through government-approved recyclers, and we track technology end-of-life through a compliance verification process. Local teams manage regional waste requirements, including sorting, classification, permits, and transfer to authorized recyclers. A global standard operating procedure guides waste management across EXL facilities and is updated as regulations evolve.
We track our waste generated, recycled and disposed and report on year-over-year consumption data in our annual Sustainability Report.
Nature-based solutions
EXL recognizes the importance of protecting and restoring natural ecosystems as a complement to our technology-driven decarbonization efforts. Our nature-based solutions program supports reforestation, water conservation, and biodiversity initiatives in and around the communities where we operate. In India, we have partnered with local organizations to undertake pond rejuvenation and water harvesting projects, restoring natural water bodies and supporting community water security. Our zero-waste-to-landfill ambition and circular resource practices reduce pressure on natural systems. As we advance toward net zero, we continue to identify high-integrity nature-based carbon removal opportunities.
CDP disclosure
- CDP is a key global platform for environmental transparency, with markets increasingly valuing disclosed data to inform business, investment, and policy decisions.
- In 2025, over 22,100 companies disclosed environmental data through CDP, representing more than half of global market capitalization.
- At EXL, we have maintained a “B” score in Climate Change disclosure and achieved an “A” rating in Supplier Engagement (SEA) for two consecutive years, demonstrating strong commitment to transparency and value-chain engagement.
- As CDP continues to raise the bar on disclosure quality and decision-usefulness, EXL remains focused on leveraging climate data to drive measurable action, strengthen stakeholder trust, and support Earth-positive outcomes.
