Tech polluting as much as airlines. Why crystal-clear ambition is needed

United Kingdom, Aug 6, 2024

With datacentres consuming nearly 3% of electricity globally each year according to Forbes magazine – on par with the aviation industry – it’s no surprise that the sustainability ambitions of tech companies around the world are under intense scrutiny. It’s not just their physical infrastructure either. Checks and balances now even extend to how green their coding is written.

The responses of 1000 CIOs surveyed for the Logicalis 2024 CIO Report bears this out and adds detail to why IT is a major player in the environmental debate. 

96% of CIOs say their function is involved in their company’s overall sustainability planning and target-setting. But they also have to carefully manage their technology spend to deliver a high return on investment with the lowest carbon impact possible.

As such, CIOs are no longer peering into the sustainability debate from the outskirts. They are at the centre of it, driving conversations and influencing future decision-making. The good news, according to the latest report, is that 89% of CIOs confirm they have clear targets to reduce carbon emissions from IT. But whether they have an actionable roadmap to meet international standards such as the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) is still uncertain.

Commenting on the main sustainability findings in the 2024 CIO Report, Toby Alcock, Logicalis Chief Technology Officer, said: 

CIOs globally continue to face pressure when it comes to prioritising innovation, balancing costs, and decreasing carbon output but these priorities don’t have to compete. With access to good data, CIOs should be able to see where to find short and long-term gains, both environmentally and financially. What’s more, they are well-positioned to attract new customers who are looking to allocate their business to more sustainable suppliers.

Bob Bailkoski, Logicalis CEO added: 

Investing in sustainability is not only the right thing to do, it is a commercial imperative for business. We know that a reduction in carbon and energy consumption also means lower costs, and with regulations on carbon reporting becoming more stringent, prioritising sustainability now will serve CIOs well later.

Learn more about the full sustainability concerns of leading CIOs here.

 

 

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