{"id":8435,"date":"2022-10-23T14:12:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T12:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/?p=8435"},"modified":"2022-10-23T14:12:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-23T12:12:21","slug":"it-sustainability-strategies-why-enterprises-need-to-start-with-the-datacenter-when-going-green","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/it-sustainability-strategies-why-enterprises-need-to-start-with-the-datacenter-when-going-green\/","title":{"rendered":"IT sustainability strategies: Why enterprises need to start with the datacenter when going green"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> 6<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Enterprises are under pressure to curb their carbon emissions and become more environmentally friendly entities on multiple fronts, including in the datacenter.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mark<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Mark Samuels<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s be clear: we face a climate emergency. The United Nations says the world needs to\u00a0reduce emissions by 7.6% every year through 2030\u00a0to prevent potentially catastrophic global warming beyond 1.5\u00b0C \u2013 and producers and consumers of technology must step up to the plate and take affirmative action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estimates suggest the IT industry\u00a0accounts for about 3% of global carbon\u00a0emissions. And our continuing\u00a0creation, consumption and storage of data\u00a0is helping to push these emissions upwards. The most significant\u00a0contributors of greenhouse gases in the IT sector\u00a0are datacenters (45%), followed by communications networks (24%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the IT industry might not produce the levels associated with power generation, industry and transportation, the technology sector still represents a big chunk of global carbon emissions. What\u2019s more, our ever-increasing reliance on IT \u2013 and its interrelation with other sectors such as power and manufacturing \u2013 means carbon emissions must be controlled.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The onus is on IT suppliers and the businesses that consume technology to do everything they can to slash emissions. But do CIOs understand the importance of sustainability? And are IT companies doing enough to help them deliver a cut in carbon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting the context for change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Initial evidence is not promising. While UK boards recognize that greener technology can reduce their carbon footprint,\u00a0sustainability\u00a0is placed third from bottom in a list of technology priorities, according to the 2021\u00a0Digital leadership report<\/em>\u00a0from recruiter Nash Squared. Just one-fifth (22%) of UK digital leaders have reduced the carbon footprint of their own technology to any great extent.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For\u00a0Bev White, CEO of Nash Squared, one of the key issues is that sustainability sometimes gets lost among a long list of competing business priorities. \u201cDeveloping new products and services, finding new talent, keeping things secure \u2013 there\u2019s so much coming at digital leaders right now,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, White also recognizes that a packed to-do list is no excuse for complacency. \u201cSustainability is on their lists. CIOs just need to move it up a little bit. And if you talk to boards, it\u2019s at the very top of their agendas,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The explanation for this elevated position is simple. With growing pressure from governments, investors and customers, all organisations must help to address the climate emergency. As a result, sustainability will become a bigger issue for digital leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re not paying attention to where your energy for your datacenters comes from and where your cloud providers are getting their energy from, you must recognize you can reduce your carbon footprint just by switching to energy-efficient and green providers. That notion of turning the cloud green is really important,\u201d says White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking in a sustainable manner<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This focus on sustainability is something that resonates strongly with Tate Cantrell, chief technology officer (CTO) at\u00a0Verne Global, a datacenter company whose facilities are powered 100% by sustainable energy sources, including\u00a0hydroelectric and geothermal energy in Iceland, which account for about 70% and 30% respectively of the country\u2019s energy production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a huge advancement in terms of corporate sustainability requirements, and that\u2019s now at the forefront in the decision-making process. It used to just be a cherry on top \u2013 now it\u2019s more along the lines of \u2018we have to do this\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tate Cantrell, Verne Global<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cantrell has already noted a shift in perception. This year\u2019s rise in power costs across Europe means his firm\u2019s cost-effective datacenter facilities have begun to look even more tempting to finance chiefs. Add in regulatory demands for sustainability and senior executives are even keener to explore their options for sustainable IT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a huge advancement in terms of corporate sustainability requirements and that\u2019s now at the forefront in the decision-making process. It used to just be a cherry on top \u2013 now it\u2019s more along the lines of \u2018we have to do this\u2019. People are suddenly starting to be called to account, and I believe it starts with the board,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe board is holding the CEO accountable and saying, \u2018Here are your targets, when are you going to be carbon neutral?\u2019 And if it\u2019s a company that\u2019s doing high-intensity computing, they can\u2019t just ignore the fact that the workloads they\u2019re running now make up a tremendous amount of their carbon footprint. They have to take it seriously.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cantrell\u00a0gives the example of BMW, one of Verne\u2019s longest standing customers. He explains how the car manufacturer took a pioneering stance in the past that is paying dividends in the present. Other executives across a range of sectors are taking note, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTen years ago, BMW said, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re going to raise our hand and say datacenters are part of the raw material that makes up automobiles\u2019,\u201d he says. \u201cToday, that way of thinking is proliferating across many industries. Whether you\u2019re fully technical, a scientific research company or a financial services firm, the truth is that what goes on in the datacenter is a raw material that goes into your end products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding green solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Digital leaders at other enterprises are also considering their suppliers\u2019 sustainability credentials. Spencer Clarkson, CTO at Verastar, has noticed that some of his major tech partners, such as Salesforce and Microsoft, are building sustainability into their offerings and attempting to increase transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a lot of the products and services we provide to our customers, all our energy has been green-only for many years now,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to be transparent with them on how we provide that service, whether we\u2019re backing off to a third party, what that green footprint looks like, and what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verastar is a fast-growing company that provides eight essential services, from telecoms through to utilities and on to finance, across a range of areas to small businesses in the UK. Clarkson says environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are crucial to his company and the clients it serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have programmes with the local community and various other workforce engagement schemes to try to help the local community,\u201d he says. \u201cWhether we\u2019re planting trees or cleaning canals or doing things for care homes or having food bank support, we try to have a full 360-degree view as a business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green IT forms an important part of that ESG agenda, too, so will sustainability considerations affect his firm\u2019s procurement decisions going forward? Clarkson says it hasn\u2019t in the past, but it\u2019s starting to feature now \u2013 and that\u2019s a trend that\u2019s only likely to increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think, over the next five years, it will feature more in what we do,\u201d he says. \u201cOne of the things that\u2019s important here is simplifying our technology stack so that we don\u2019t have 19 different ways of doing something. We want to consolidate and then think very hard about the vendor that supplies that single service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producing big benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is not just private sector firms that are thinking long and hard about sustainability \u2013 public sector organizations are taking affirmative action, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrew Briggs, strategic manager for sustainability and green infrastructure at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, is working with technology company Siemens on a pioneering approach that\u2019s cutting emissions and reducing costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council formed a strategic collaboration with Siemens in April 2017, when both organizations started thinking about how to boost the energy performance of the local authority\u2019s buildings across a five-year period. Siemens provided what Briggs refers to as a \u201cwhole-systems approach\u201d to analyzing how technology could boost efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first phase of the programme involved a widescale LED lighting upgrade. A total of 5,440 energy-efficient LEDs were installed across the city in nine months. The system reduced lighting loads by 76%, which saves the council \u00a3205,663 annually and has lowered carbon emissions by 437 tonnes each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other energy-saving schemes include the introduction of three combined heat and power (CHP) installations. These CHP systems will be operational by 2025 to generate electricity and steam for power and heat on-site, saving the council \u00a3250,000 per year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focus on sustainability has produced big benefits. Projects across 11 public buildings in the city have reduced annual CO2<\/sub> emissions by 1,415 tonnes, saving the council \u00a3628,258 in energy costs annually. Overall power consumption has decreased by 4,07,272kWh, while gas consumption has fallen by 2,864,974kWh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that overall reduction in consumption that translates into cash savings,\u201d says Briggs. \u201cThe net savings to us, even after the investment costs, are not insubstantial. And they\u2019re based on 2020 prices, when energy markets were at rock bottom. These successes mean we\u2019ve established a track record internally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaching the right destination<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What is clear, says Gisli Kr, chief commercial officer with atNorth, a Nordic datacenter specialist offering environmentally responsible services, is that a change in attitude is taking place. Speaking from the firm\u2019s facilities in Iceland, he says sustainability is finally hitting the mainstream and green thinking must be at the centre of enterprise strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA few years back, sustainability officers were hired and it was about putting a feather in the corporate hat. Now, as the maturity is increasing, these C-level executives have managed to prove that a focus on sustainability has a positive impact on the bottom line\u201d<\/p>

Gisli Kr, atNorth<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA few years back, sustainability officers were hired and it was kind of about putting a feather in the corporate hat,\u201d he says. \u201cNow, as the maturity is increasing, these C-level executives have managed to prove that a focus on sustainability has a positive impact on the bottom line for these organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such has been the scale of the swing that Kr believes organizations that are not focusing on sustainability \u2013 with a set of practices to take these concerns into account \u2013 are going to be left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is pressure from the consumers that use services and from suppliers and corporate customers that are now mapping out their supply chains. They\u2019re saying, \u2018You’re selling me materials \u2013 are you making sure your supply chain doesn\u2019t infringe on our sustainability policy?\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a sentiment that chimes with Daniel Smith, head of analytics at Pangaia, a clothing company that is committed to reaching net-zero operations by 2025. While the IT industry could do more to ensure its environmental impact is reduced, he says most people in technology recognize the need for greener power for IT systems and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s hard to find partners that have a conscience,\u201d he says. \u201cI know it\u2019s a clich\u00e9, but we\u2019re all on a journey and we\u2019re all at different stages. Most of us realize the impact we\u2019re having on the planet and how we can be something that\u2019s more positive.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> 6<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>Enterprises are under pressure to curb their carbon emissions and become more environmentally friendly entities on multiple fronts, including in the datacenter. By Mark Samuels Let\u2019s be clear: we face a climate emergency. The United Nations says the world needs to\u00a0reduce emissions by 7.6% every year through 2030\u00a0to prevent potentially catastrophic global warming beyond 1.5\u00b0C \u2013 and producers and consumers<\/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":[38,35,8,4,268,30,3,338],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-practices-for-data-center-operations","category-data-center-facilities","category-data-center-hardware","category-datacenter-news","category-datacentre-energy-efficiency-and-green-it","category-expert-advise-and-opinion","category-industry-news-and-expert-advise","category-tech-partners-curated-content"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8435","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=8435"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8436,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8435\/revisions\/8436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}