IT has always been at the forefront of energy efficiency, with businesses using technology to streamline processes and optimize operations. However, today, investors, customers, and employees are also pushing for more sustainable operations that meet the needs of the present while ensuring that future generations can meet their own needs. In response, more than half of all enterprises now have a formal sustainability framework, with IT playing a key role in advancing the agenda, according to Lee Green, chief architect at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
To achieve sustainable IT, businesses need to focus on three areas: infrastructure, applications, and end devices. The low-hanging fruit of sustainability is optimizing infrastructure performance with equipment that has a lower carbon footprint and is more energy efficient, says Bjoern Stengel, global sustainability research lead at IDC. This includes moving to cloud-based infrastructure and application management tools to gain greater visibility and control over energy consumption. Data centers are one of the most energy-consuming types of facilities to go after in energy management, according to Denise Lee, vice president for Cisco’s Engineering Sustainability Office.
Cloud providers such as AWS care about ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and have initiatives in place to reduce carbon emissions. Modernizing applications is also key, as certain applications are written in a way that consumes more energy. Finally, businesses should rethink whether individual users need multiple computing devices and look for opportunities to get more out of employee devices. This includes considering extending the laptop refresh cycle and rethinking data storage and retention policies.
Beyond energy efficiency, businesses need to look at the entire life cycle of IT equipment from procurement to final disposition. Procurement policies and procedures should align with sustainability plans and goals and include questions about the manufacturer’s use of recycled materials, manufacturing labor conditions, recyclability of the components, and take-back recycling programs. Having visibility into the final disposition of IT assets is also critical to sustainable IT best practices, especially as government regulation increases.
IT has an important role to play in driving sustainable approaches to business, and companies need to take a holistic approach that encompasses infrastructure, applications, end devices, procurement and disposition. This will require a renewed focus on the complete life cycle of IT equipment and an increasing reliance on third-party partners who handle disposal in a transparent way.
