IT Sustainability Think Tank: How CIOs can measure their carbon emissions and energy use

In todays rapidly changing world, CIOs increasingly recognise the significance of sustainability and environmental responsibility. As part of these efforts, measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has emerged as a crucial step toward effective carbon management.

With ICT estates set to expand with ongoing digitalisation and the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), it will be vital to understand, monitor and reduce the environmental impacts of ICT.

This will enable organisations to contain energy spending, reduce the ecological footprint of often complex global networks of devices, servers and users.

A carbon footprint is the measurement of your business’s total emissions from all sources, which are sub-divided into three internationally recognised categories, known as scopes:

You can use the following steps to calculate your business’s ICT footprint. While these need not be in the order shown below, many feed into each other:

Many large organisations already report their carbon footprints according to international standards and requirements, such as the Science Based Target Initiative. However, organisations have different ways of reporting their GHG emissions depending on their function (i. e. what’s in scope for reporting) and the purpose of the reports. Emissions can be reported at three levels, in accordance with Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

The direct environmental impacts of an ICT estate can derive from the following components for example:

Carbon emissions from energy consumption are the largest environmental impact of using ICT devices. Ideally, your energy footprint should report the consumption of primary energy sources and cover the complete supply chain of goods and services.

Several tools can help to quantify and reduce the emissions of your ICT estate. For example, CGI’s digital twin platform streams real-time data, and measures and predicts energy consumption. Offerings like this can provide carbon accounting insights to its users, enabling CIOs and IT directors to understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their hosting platform.

Embodied carbon emissions refer to the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the production and transportation of goods, from the extraction of raw materials to the manufacturing process and final delivery to the consumer. Therefore, CIOs need to consider who they do business with, and whether these suppliers use renewable energy and other sustainability standards (e. g. electric vehicles) during the production and transportation of goods.

In summary, understanding and managing GHG emissions is crucial for organisations and leaders committed to sustainable practices. An effective way to reduce emissions is via the use of tools that can report, monitor and predict energy use of devices. By measuring and comprehending emissions, CIOs and IT directors can drive meaningful change, set reduction targets, and make informed decisions to improve their environmental impact.

This will enable them to enhance sustainability performance, comply with regulations, and build a reputation as responsible corporate citizens.

A source: www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-CIOs-can-measure-their-carbon-emissions-and-energy-use