In the face of climate change and legislative changes, companies are increasingly required to act sustainably. This means cutting CO2 emissions and using resources more efficiently. IT represents a key lever for companies to pull. In this whitepaper, we set out where the highest CO2 emissions occur, the commercial benefits of greater sustainability and the first steps towards greener IT.
Higher efficiency, lower emissions
Our “Greening of IT” whitepaper highlights digital technologies’ potential to promote sustainability
According to a range of studies, IT is responsible for 2.3% to 3.7% of global CO2 emissions. This figure is roughly equivalent to the emissions produced by the shipping industry – and is on the rise. With this in mind, we should not merely see IT as a tool with which to promote sustainability in other areas of business activities (known as “greening by IT”). Instead, there is considerable potential to make improvements in relation to IT hardware, software and infrastructure (known as “greening of IT”).
This whitepaper examines the greening of IT from all perspectives. While it considers how companies use IT, its scope also covers the entire IT value chain and the whole hardware life cycle, from manufacturing through to recycling. This is because Scope 3 emissions – from the broader supply chain – are an important factor when calculating the carbon footprint of a company’s IT activities.
- What role the manufacturing of end devices plays in CO2 emissions
- How software development can contribute to the greening of IT
- Four quick wins – with specific, practical tips to make IT more sustainable
- How greater sustainability can contribute to commercial success
- Tips for first steps towards more sustainable IT
