While the efforts may have increased over the last couple of years, the spirit of the company to be a responsible corporate citizen is in Juniper’s DNA. The location of its Sunnyvale headquarters was deliberately chosen because of its proximity to a light rail station and, when possible, the company locates its offices around the world near mass transit options.

Juniper’s policies promote and reward employees for using alternative modes of transportation to get to work, offering subsidies for mass transit and lunch cards for employees that bike to work as part of their commute.

It uses recycled paper and has a comprehensive recycling system in place for paper, media (CDs, videos, etc.), beverage containers and electronic equipment.

It is no secret that the benefits to being a responsible corporate citizen make business sense too. Juniper’s customers are looking for ways to reduce the operational costs associated with running their infrastructure; if Juniper can offer reduced energy and cooling costs or offer them a single solution that replaces multiple boxes in the network for a more efficient use of data centre space and a net energy saving that is a good value proposition.

By reducing its own energy consumption, Juniper saves money and improves the overall moral of its employees - promoting practices that lead to healthier lifestyles - that too is a good value proposition. Juniper sees it as a win-win for the networking industry and is dedicated to taking the steps to further the environmentally sound practices that support the world in which it does business.

The author is Managing Director, India & SAARC, Juniper Networks.