IT Sustainability Think Tank: Lessons from 2024 and priorities for 2025 | Computer Weekly

As the year winds down, it’s clear that IT sustainability has made significant strides but still faces challenges. The growing urgency of environmental concerns has driven many companies to adopt greener practices, yet economic pressures have sometimes slowed progress.

For IT leaders, the task is to keep sustainability initiatives alive amid competing priorities and to set a stronger course for the year ahead.

Regulations have been a strong driver for IT sustainability in 2024. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has forced organisations to take measurable environmental action. While this has created challenges for those unprepared to meet the new demands, it has also rewarded companies that proactively aligned their operations with sustainability goals.

IT leaders who took the time to integrate compliance measures into their workflows now find themselves ahead of the curve, reaping benefits that go beyond compliance, including enhanced public trust and better operational efficiency.

These regulatory shifts highlight an important lesson: compliance has evolved from a legal obligation to a strategic business advantage. IT departments must build systems that support not only current reporting requirements, but also future sustainability demands. Early adoption and consistent monitoring are key to staying ahead.

Economic uncertainty in 2024 posed a serious challenge for sustainability efforts across industries. Initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact were sometimes postponed or scaled back, viewed as cost centres rather than investments. This short-term thinking undermined the long-term savings and brand benefits that such initiatives can deliver.

In contrast, companies that integrated sustainability into their business models demonstrated the financial and operational benefits of going green. Examples include organisations that refurbished existing IT equipment instead of purchasing new devices, reducing e-waste while saving money.

Others shifted their workloads to cloud service providers with renewable energy commitments, achieving both environmental and cost efficiencies. These actions highlight that sustainability need not come at the expense of financial stability. IT leaders should treat green initiatives as part of a broader strategy for resilience and innovation, not as optional extras.

Organisations that prioritised sustainability in 2024 showcased practical solutions that others can adopt. Smarter data management has been a standout approach. By deleting unused files, archiving infrequently accessed data, and streamlining workflows, IT teams significantly reduced energy use and server demands.

Another promising development was the adoption of circular economy principles. Companies that repurpose and refurbish old devices are reducing the need for constant hardware replacements, addressing the environmental toll of electronic waste. Some IT leaders are partnering with suppliers to recycle outdated components responsibly or to design hardware with repairability in mind. These efforts align with consumer expectations for environmentally conscious business practices and mitigate reputational risks associated with unsustainable operations.

Advancements in technology have provided new opportunities to embed sustainability into IT. While the use of AI has a well-documented negative environmental impact, it is also enabling organisations to optimise their energy use in remarkable ways. From dynamic cooling systems in datacentres to predictive maintenance for hardware, AI-driven solutions are helping to significantly reduce unnecessary resource consumption.

Meanwhile, edge computing has gained traction as a more energy-efficient alternative to centralised cloud computing. By processing data closer to its source, edge computing reduces the energy demands associated with transmitting large datasets to distant datacentres.

IT leaders adopting this approach are not only improving system performance but also lessening their environmental impact.

Renewable energy is another area of progress. More companies are partnering with cloud providers committed to running datacentres on wind, solar, or hydroelectric power. IT departments that negotiate green energy partnerships or prioritise vendors with credible sustainability credentials are making impactful contributions toward reducing emissions.

Despite these advances, certain aspects of IT sustainability have been slow to develop. Data collection remains a persistent problem. Many organisations rely on manual or outdated systems to track energy usage, carbon emissions, and resource consumption. This creates inefficiencies and undermines the accuracy of reporting. Automating these processes using real-time monitoring tools would improve decision-making and provide clearer insights into sustainability performance.

Sustainability is often siloed within specific departments, rather than being treated as an organisation-wide priority. IT leaders have a crucial role in breaking down these silos, as technology decisions frequently intersect with broader business operations.

Collaboration with procurement teams, facilities managers, and supply chain specialists is vital for creating cohesive strategies that align sustainability goals across the organisation.

Beyond technology and policy, fostering a sustainability-focused culture is an area where some organisations are excelling, while others lag behind. IT leaders need to champion the cause by setting clear objectives, communicating the benefits, and rewarding employee contributions to green initiatives. Empowering teams to innovate and share ideas on how to reduce waste or energy consumption creates a sense of shared responsibility and accelerates progress.

Leadership also means staying informed about emerging trends and technologies that could support sustainability goals. Participating in industry forums, engaging with sustainability experts, and fostering partnerships with like-minded organisations ensure that IT leaders are always equipped with the latest tools and ideas.

As organisations prepare for 2025, there are clear priorities for IT leaders to address. Investing in energy-efficient hardware, cloud services powered by renewables, and smarter data management systems are actionable steps that can deliver measurable results. Collaborating across departments to align sustainability goals will also be critical, especially in areas like procurement and product lifecycle management.

Another priority should be transparency. Companies that openly share their sustainability achievements and challenges build trust with stakeholders and encourage others to follow their lead. IT departments can play a significant role by providing reliable data and helping to shape sustainability narratives that resonate with customers and employees alike.

The last 12 months has shown that sustainability in IT is achievable when backed by strong leadership, thoughtful investment, and innovative practices. The challenges of economic uncertainty have tested the commitment of many organisations, but those that persevered have demonstrated the value of staying the course.

IT leaders now have a chance to build on these gains, embedding sustainability into their strategies for 2025 and beyond. The tools, knowledge, and opportunities are already in place — it’s time to act decisively.

https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Lessons-from-2024-and-priorities-for-2025

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