Sustainable IT leads to significant benefits but is currently still not a focus for most organisations

According to a new report from the Capgemini Research Institute, entitled “Sustainable IT: Why it’s time for a Green revolution for your organisation’s IT”, the organisations which have built a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate sustainable IT implementation have realised improved ESG scores (61 per cent), seen improved customer satisfaction (56 per cent) and witnessed tax savings (44 per cent) as a direct result of sustainable IT practices. Yet, organisations are still largely unaware of how to implement sustainable IT practices and proactively address the environmental impact of enterprise IT, with only 6 per cent of firms having achieved a high level of sustainable IT maturity.  

While tech solutions can help solve environmental issues, IT as a whole has a carbon footprint itself. The new report has identified the areas of enterprise IT emissions that are growing most rapidly and lays out a three-stage roadmap for organisations to build and implement their sustainable IT strategies. 

However, organisations are not yet viewing sustainable IT as a priority or a tool in their wider sustainability agenda and journey to reduce their carbon footprint: according to the report, only 22 per cent plan to reduce more than one-quarter of their carbon footprint through sustainable IT in the next three years. 

Organisations are largely unaware of the environmental impact of IT

A clear awareness gap about the environmental impact of IT has emerged, with 57 per cent of respondents unaware of their own organisation’s IT carbon footprint. Those in banking and the consumer products sector show the highest levels of awareness, while the industrial manufacturing sector the lowest. Only 34 per cent know that the production of mobiles and laptops has a higher carbon footprint than the use of these devices over their lifetime. 

This awareness gap is compounded by the fact that sustainable IT currently does not get the same attention and resources as other green initiatives. When it comes to strategy, half of firms have defined an enterprise-wide sustainability approach, yet less than one in five have a comprehensive sustainable IT strategy with well-defined goals and target timelines. 

Most organisations do not have adequate tools or shared standards to measure the environmental impact of IT. Only 29 per cent use carbon assessment tools and just 34 per cent say that sustainable IT is part of their board-level agenda. The use of KPIs to track and measure progress for enterprise IT sustainability is also not widespread, with only 23 per cent of organisations measuring greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, just one per cent have achieved their targets. Setting a carbon cost against IT operations can help organisations across departments realise the impact of their IT footprint, but only 27 per cent of organisations have standardised the practice.

High maturity organisations derive more benefits 

The technology sector is well placed to play a role influencing and advocating for policy change. Technology firms are taking proactive steps in decarbonising IT operations, services and products, and multiple players have announced targets to become carbon neutral. As a result, many organisations are looking to shift the onus onto the tech industry to help them establish sustainable IT practices. Some 52 per cent of organisations told the Capgemini Research Institute that technology firms should incorporate a sustainable IT dimension into their products and services, 61 per cent want tech firms to help them measure the environmental impact of their IT, and 45 per cent are willing to pay a premium of up to 5 per cent for sustainable IT products and services. 

“Sustainability must be at the core of our global effort for post-pandemic recovery, and IT cannot be neglected. Organisations need to recognise and act on the carbon cost of our digital world by accelerating the move to business models which are supported by sustainable IT capabilities,” said Cyril Garcia, CEO, Capgemini Invent and Group Executive Board Member, Executive Sponsor, CSR Program. 

The report concludes with a three-stage roadmap to accelerating sustainable IT, which includes: 

• Setting the foundations with a sustainable IT strategy that aligns with the organisational sustainability strategy
• Creating a governance process with a dedicated sustainable IT team and support from leadership 
• Operationalising sustainable IT initiatives with sustainability a key pillar of software architecture