Sustainability was not a commercial focus only a few decades ago. Today, most businesses recognize the value of sustainability from both an economic and a social responsibility standpoint.
What has changed?
Companies are depending on technology to boost the efficiency and productivity of their workforces more than ever before. Carbon footprints have significantly grown as a result of this procedure. According to analysts, information and communications technology would account for about 14% of total global carbon emissions by 2040, up from 1.5% in 2007.
Recognizing that our electronics increase productivity at the expense of the environment is a particularly difficult double-edged sword. Businesses are keen to lessen their environmental footprint while reaping the advantages of technology. How, though, is the question. This is where the notion of green IT comes in.
What Exactly Is Green IT?
Green IT, often known as green computing, is the activity of developing, producing, or using technology in a manner that minimizes its negative impacts on the environment. Everything from selecting ecologically friendly materials to decreasing energy use and electrical waste falls under this category.
Green IT is an enterprise-wide commitment to reducing technology's environmental effects as much as feasible.
And more companies are making this pledge. According to a Gartner poll, for the first time in 2022, CEOs rated sustainability among their top ten strategic business goals. In terms of relevance as a competitive differentiation, many respondents rank sustainability on par with brand trust.
Indeed, a variety of pressures are forcing businesses to embrace greener business practices. According to a recent poll, 98% of customers feel companies have a duty to make the world a better place, and 40% prefer to purchase sustainable goods over others.
The poll also identifies three areas where CIOs may take the lead in turning green:
- Implementing a comprehensive insights program to assess and drive sustainability
- Using an ecologically friendly technology strategy
- Increasing openness and responsibility across the value chain
These topics conveniently come within the purview of green IT. You may successfully support sustainability in both your operations and those of your business partners by assessing your company's technology stack and devising strategies to apply eco-friendly initiatives.
Green IT's Advantages
Organizations that have implemented sustainability initiatives cite a variety of benefits, including:
- Cost savings may be realized through reducing energy use and e-waste. According to Gartner, 4 out of 5 corporate executives feel sustainability helps them decrease operating expenses.
- Consumers want environmentally conscious items from companies that care about the environment. At least 60% are prepared to pay extra for items with environmentally friendly packaging. Green IT methods may demonstrate your commitment to sustainability while also driving beneficial business consequences.
- Compliance: Regulators are coming down harder on environmentally hazardous company practices. The European Union, for example, has imposed regulations on single-use plastics, outlawing their sale in all member countries. Adopting environmentally friendly methods may help you stay in compliance with changing requirements and avoid penalties and legal ramifications.
- Reduced carbon footprint: Perhaps the most significant advantage of green IT is its environmental impact. Organizations may dramatically cut total carbon emissions by employing technology more effectively and minimizing waste.
Green IT strategy examples
Green IT can help your company as well as the environment. But how does it work in practice?
Let's look at seven examples of green IT solutions you may use to help you achieve your sustainability objectives.
1. Telecommuting and Flexible Work
Travel to and from the workplace has decreased since fewer workers work on-site than ever before.
Implementing a hybrid or remote-first work philosophy may lower your workers' carbon footprint. Of course, this begs the issue of how to keep dispersed workforces linked and cooperating.
To bridge the gap, many businesses are turning to cloud-based solutions like video conferencing and cloud calling systems. These technologies enable team members to communicate as if they were in the same room together, without missing a beat.
2. Cloud Resilience
Cloud sustainability, according to Gartner, is the use of cloud computing to fulfill environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. Companies that use cloud services may reduce the residual effects of on-premises technology, such as cooling and processing power.
Take, for example, data centers. Traditional data centers are predicted to require more than 205 terawatt hours of power per year, which is more than Taiwan, Ireland, Denmark, or South Africa. Most businesses update them every several years, increasing their carbon footprints.
Cloud data centers are a more environmentally friendly choice. Many are powered by renewable energy and may serve numerous customers at once, consolidating computing power and increasing usage rates. This minimizes idle capacity, which leads to increased energy efficiency throughout the common infrastructure.
3. Shared Workspace
Because people work from home at least part-time, offices aren't as crowded as they once were. As a result, workplaces and the resources necessary to power them are being squandered.
Hot desking is a kind of office setting in which desks are not allocated permanently but are rented on an as-needed basis by workers. This approach to shared workplaces has the potential to minimize the amount of energy necessary to heat, cool, and light office buildings.
4. Long-Term Hardware Acquisition
According to the World Economic Forum, design choices account for 80% of a product's environmental effects. As a result, many corporate executives are seeking ethically sourced hardware with built-in energy efficiency.
Sustainable procurement entails obtaining environmentally friendly gadgets and purchasing from providers that follow sustainable practices. Manufacturers are producing more environmentally friendly goods, ranging from low-power servers and laptops to smart lighting and video conferencing equipment created with a circular design concept.
5. IT Management Centralized
Understanding your technology stack from top to bottom is one of the finest methods to advance your ESG goals. The only issue? Many businesses lack insight into their energy use, emissions, and other crucial performance parameters.
Business executives should prefer providers that provide these insights via a single point of contact. You may monitor predicted energy use, track emissions over time, and report progress to customers and stakeholders alike with complete visibility throughout the whole enterprise.
Even better, with data at your fingertips, you can immediately take action and discover areas for development.
A Cleaner, Greener Future
Sustainability is more than a catchphrase. This is a mission. As sustainable practices move to the top of the business agenda, it is apparent that the next wave of workplace technology will be more environmentally friendly.
Businesses may not only lower their carbon footprin, but also be at the forefront of good change, by using environmentally friendly technology and sustainable practices.
