{"id":8296,"date":"2022-06-12T17:35:06","date_gmt":"2022-06-12T15:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/?p=8296"},"modified":"2022-06-12T17:37:05","modified_gmt":"2022-06-12T15:37:05","slug":"holistic-circular-economies-needed-by-it-departments-to-fight-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/holistic-circular-economies-needed-by-it-departments-to-fight-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Holistic circular economies needed by IT departments to fight climate change."},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

With sustainability moving up the boardroom agenda, IT managers should revamp procurement strategies to align with the principles of the circular economy, but what does this mean for managing the IT lifecycle?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sebastian<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Sebastian Klovig Skelton <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enterprises must build holistic circular economies around their operations to address every source of emissions and waste if the IT sector is to tackle its mounting contribution to ecological collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An April 2022 report from the\u00a0Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u00a0stated that to meet the Paris Agreement\u2019s target of limiting climate increases to 1.5\u00b0C, emissions need to be reduced by 43% before 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many companies are busy working up\u00a0net-zero strategies\u00a0\u2013 with varying degrees of sincerity and effectiveness \u2013 to deal with the climate crisis, PwC\u2019s\u00a02022 CEO Survey\u00a0says achieving the reality of net zero \u201cwill be exceedingly difficult for some companies and industries\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also noted that the most \u201cupbeat of all CEOs\u201d were those of private equity firms and technology companies, which \u201ccontinue to benefit from large inflows of capital thanks to the favorable financial conditions prevailing in most advanced economies\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their optimism and the vast scale of their resources, however, the global volume of\u00a0electronic waste (e-waste)\u00a0is\u00a0forecast to reach 74 metric tonnes by 2030, with only 17% of that being recycled. By 2040, the IT sector is also expected to\u00a0account for 14% of global emissions, despite only accounting for 2-4% currently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn how the sector can build circular economies that deal with every aspect of an IT estate\u2019s lifecycle, and how it can kick its increasingly wasteful habits, Computer Weekly sought input from a range of organisations involved in IT sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The starting point in driving circularity in an enterprise\u2019s operations is \u2013 according to\u00a0Praveen Shankar, Ernst & Young\u2019s UK & Ireland managing partner for technology, media and telecoms \u2013 visibility and measurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCorporate devices such as laptops and mobile phones are typically well tracked, but organisations tend to have less visibility around complex equipment deployment such as servers, network equipment, or even elements of a datacentre,\u201d\u00a0said Shankar in a recent Computer Weekly article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOrganisations should start by putting measurement in place and identifying gaps in capabilities such as inventory and asset management, to drive efficiencies through repair, refurbishment and reuse, across the business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that measurement will allow identification of what actions need to be taken, which procurement staff can then use to put plans in place to improve outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Melson, associate director for climate, environment and sustainability at trade association TechUK, agrees that getting data on the percentage of IT assets going to landfill, as well as the percentage being refurbished and\/or reused, is essential, adding that\u00a0buying refurbished equipment<\/a>\u00a0is a good place to start as it has a lower carbon footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For\u00a0Katy Medlock, UK general manager at refurbished consumer electronics marketplace Back Market,\u00a0extending the lifespan of devices\u00a0is the first and easiest step companies can take to address their hardware consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe longer a device lasts, the longer until a new one is needed. Improving devices\u2019 lifespan can be as simple as providing employees with protective cases and bags,\u201d she says. \u201cA simple and cheap case will reduce the chances of breakage, removing the hassle and cost of paying for screen repairs or even new devices. Second-hand products, that have been checked by experts, in good condition can further reduce the cost.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Medlock adds that while this and other steps \u2013 such as providing employees with repair and care tutorials \u2013 can prolong hardware lifespan, devices will never last forever. Once equipment reaches the end of its \u201cfirst life\u201d, Medlock also suggests selling it on to facilitate the circular economy.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The longer a device lasts, the longer until a new one is needed. Improving devices\u2019 lifespan can be as simple as providing employees with protective cases and bags\u201d<\/p>

Katy Medlock, Back Market<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile selling old devices once proved a potential security risk, the mass adoption of cloud storage has reduced it to a much smaller problem. Companies can now easily hand over devices without the risk of locally stored data falling into the wrong hands,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRefurbished device vendors will often offer cash-in-hand for used devices. Many network providers also offer buy-back programmes where the value can be used as a discount for the next purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if a company is unable to sell on a piece of hardware for reuse, she says it must be properly recycled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melson adds the caveat that while many\u00a0business buyers express concern about the data on devices, \u201cthis is not a valid concern as there are very robust processes now for effective data wiping for used tech\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in the context of\u00a0datacentre operators, Jay Dietrich, a research director on sustainability at the Uptime Institute, agrees with Shankar that enterprises should report metrics and set goals for the reuse and recycling of end-of-life products and components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo validate this, datacentre operators must maintain an inventory of end-of-life products sent to their product recyclers\/reclaimers. Operators should also verify that recyclers\/reclaimers track the ultimate disposition of refurbished products and components,\u201d he says, adding due diligence is vital to verifying that the chosen recyclers manage the materials and products as promised, and that the equipment does not end up in landfill when it can be reused instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encompassing the entire value and supply chain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shankar warns, however, that for these processes to be effective, they must be done \u201cacross the organisation\u201d and not in departmental silos. \u201cEnabling true circularity requires going beyond the organisation to work with suppliers and customers, across the full end-to-end value chain,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iggy Bassi, founder and CEO of \u201cclimate intelligence\u201d company Cervest, says that while building circularity into business models is \u201cundeniably important\u201d when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and the unsustainable consumption of raw materials, \u201cadapting supply chains and procurement processes to cope with the uncertainties of our future climate must be a parallel consideration\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds that an open approach to climate intelligence is vital, as it allows all parties involved in the supply or value chain to communicate over, and take responsibility of, their shared assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile assets are owned, the risk on those assets is shared by all parties that rely on them for business continuity,\u201d he says. \u201cCervest is already seeing organisations feeding climate intelligence into their supplier selection and renewal processes. The benefits are two-fold: enterprises are better prepared for climate change, and suppliers are incentivised to make their own operations more resilient.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According to Dietrich, an oft-overlooked aspect of datacentre circularity is the\u00a0reuse of recovered waste heat\u00a0from cooling systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeat reuse is categorised as a circularity topic, as heat generated in the operation of the datacentre can be captured and put to a beneficial use heating other facilities \u2013 offices, swimming pools and greenhouses, for example \u2013 or providing heat to a district heating system,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Dietrich\u2019s point is specifically about waste heat in datacentres, Melson adds that enterprises generally should make an assessment of the energy performance of respective IT gear, factoring in emissions and waste throughout the entire lifecycle of equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnsuring effective value chain due diligence should encompass IT use and disposal,\u201d he says. \u201cIf products are being defined as e-waste, take a deep interest in how IT is treated and disposed of, as there are numerous environmental and human rights risks in the waste sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melson further adds that setting circular economy targets in requests for proposal (RFPs) during the procurement process \u201cis also a good way to drive supplier engagement\u201d further down the chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start with, then, organisations must gain an understanding of their current IT estates and circular processes through measurement and tracking, which can inform more targeted action going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From here, they should take steps to extend equipment life for as long as possible, before having further processes in place to either recycle or reuse it. All of this needs to be underpinned by extensive due diligence on suppliers and their respective processes, which will give enterprises confidence that equipment will be properly dealt with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn this way, organisations can work in tandem with their ecosystem players, such as suppliers and customers, to make a tangible impact through circularity,\u201d says Shankar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>With sustainability moving up the boardroom agenda, IT managers should revamp procurement strategies to align with the principles of the circular economy, but what does this mean for managing the IT lifecycle? By Sebastian Klovig Skelton Enterprises must build holistic circular economies around their operations to address every source of emissions and waste if the IT sector is to tackle<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,38,356,35,8,354,48,4,211,268,30,3,123,47,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-batting-for-tech-in-the-covid-19-times","category-best-practices-for-data-center-operations","category-circular-economies","category-data-center-facilities","category-data-center-hardware","category-data-center-ops-monitoring-and-management","category-data-center-outsourcing-dco","category-datacenter-news","category-datacentre-cooling-infrastructure","category-datacentre-energy-efficiency-and-green-it","category-expert-advise-and-opinion","category-industry-news-and-expert-advise","category-it-compliance-and-governance-strategies","category-it-managed-services","category-it-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8296"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8298,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8296\/revisions\/8298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}