News in the Channel - issue #11

OPINION

How to deliver sustainability in a tech business

Sustainability is a challenge for tech businesses of all sizes – how to bring down your environmental impact without adversely affecting the bottom line? Roy Shelton, CEO of the Connectus Group, presents tips on how to do this.

Businesses of all sizes are facing an identical challenge: how can they deliver sustainable services while remaining profitable? Demonstrating how you can do this isn’t just vital for the future of your business, for many it can also be crucial in attracting future investment too – those looking to inject funds want to see evidence of sustainability in action. And, more importantly, they will want to know how your business makes sustainability a part of its future roadmap. In tech, the challenges are particularly acute, but we are also fortunate in that we operate within an environment that does lend itself to a more sustainable way of working. Here’s some ways you can make your day- to-day operations more sustainable without compromising on quality or harming your bottom line.

servers to house all company information, chances are you will be using more power and generating more heat than if you switched to the cloud. Recycle your IT When replacements or upgrades are required, consider eco-friendly ways of disposing of your computers. There are great initiatives that send used but still usable computers to communities and people with a need for them, ensuring an extended life span for the device. Align ESG with business strategy It is essential for the c-suite to develop a greater understanding of technology in relation to its ESG targets. This starts with leaders being more ambitious in how they’re using IT in ESG activities. For example, how is the business using technology and data to help inform more sustainable business decisions? Is existing technology infrastructure sustainable? Business leaders should invite IT leaders to join their ESG strategy conversations. Likewise, as companies engage in more sustainability efforts, the role of the chief sustainability officer (CSO) has become increasingly popular. To avoid silos building between IT departments and CSOs there needs to be a culture of collaboration and data- sharing to advance ESG strategy and activities. Invest in greener IT infrastructure Business leaders need to consider the sustainability of their current and future IT infrastructure. Modern technologies play an important role in reducing carbon emissions. Traditional data centres are responsible for 3% of global power consumption, which is why the UK government is encouraging organisations to migrate on-premises IT infrastructure to public cloud in a bid to work toward net zero emissions as large cloud providers are accelerating their net zero roadmap.

Roy Shelton CEO

connectus.org.uk

Videoconferencing Pre-COVID, for most companies

videoconferencing was not even on the radar and certainly not considered a key way of conducting business. Now it has become the norm. Some employees may love holding a virtual meeting, while others may hate it, but the reality is that many meetings can be effectively carried out online, which greatly reduces the need for travel and therefore reduces emissions and environmental impact. Adopt the cloud The more a company can use the cloud for its business operations the better for the environment. Using applications such as Windows Virtual Desktop help reduce the impact on company computer hardware as staff work online rather than on the computer’s system. Long-term, this extends the lifecycle of the computers and enables them to work more effectively, reducing the need for expensive upgrades or replacements. In addition, if your business is still using big