Technology in a Sustainable Future
Technology has profoundly shaped our society, economy and the environment. It has also been the cause of many environmental problems, such as environmental degradation, climate change, waste management, and other pressing global challenges. However, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain and the internet of things (IoT) are powering the fifth industrial revolution and have the potential to help us solve our climate goals.
With World Environment Day taking place this Sunday the 5th of June, we spoke with industry leaders and experts about how organisations can improve their technology sustainability efforts.
Importance of ESG
There’s no doubt that environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), has gained popularity across the business and technology landscape in recent years. It’s become a growing priority for organisations to adopt an active role in taking care of their employees, for wider society and the environment.
Anna Mleczko, Senior Marketing Specialist at Future Processing, claims that implementing a thorough ESG framework helps to create value for a business by holding them accountable for their promises and newfound responsibilities. Anna says: “From providing transparency over carbon emissions to leveraging satellite images, Artificial Intelligence also allows companies to collect and analyse more information than ever before when accounting for ESG risks and opportunities. Many companies are beginning to develop an AI-driven model for ESG analysis to create a standardised framework based on appropriate criteria and present the findings in an easy and digestible manner.”
Gary Lintott, COO at fu3e., adds: “Sustainability and social responsibility concerns have changed the way businesses evaluate risk, and helping companies improve their ESG is more important than ever. fu3e software provides board leaders with the ESG management tools they need to reach their targets to reduce the impact on CO2 emissions and forest depletion, and help cut energy use, climate change emissions, water and air pollution, and waste production.
“Ahead of World Environment Day 2022, companies should take advantage of adaptive management reporting technology to empower teams in managing risk, improving ESG targets, and making every organisation in the capital stack 100% more effective.”
Deborah Johnson, Head of Sustainability at Agilitas, concludes: “The likes of health and safety, working conditions and information security are all key to creating a positive and sustainable working environment, so Channel companies need to demonstrate their use of innovative technologies and how they are tracking ESG objectives. This includes supporting their partners and customers in their transitions to becoming greener, more sustainable and more efficient, all while embracing digital transformation.”
Adopting a Circular Economy Through the Cloud
Where today’s economy is very much linear with a very short cycle life, especially for tech, this way of working is no longer sustainable. The need for companies to recycle and reuse the majority of critical raw materials to protect the environment is critical.
Jack Bedell-Pearce, CEO & Co-Founder at 4D Data Centres, explained: “The data centre industry is a primary force linking digital transformation and global energy consumption. According to the EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2020, 205 terawatt hours were consumed by data centres in 2019. There is no future that doesn’t include data centres and the only way to build toward a sustainable future is for the industry to adopt a circular economy.
Robert Belgrave, CEO at Pax8 EMEA provides some solutions: “Making simple choices like shifting to cloud adoption, not only increases the accessibility, flexibility, and security of a business but also holds significant sustainable value. The cloud removes the negative externalities associated with traditional data centres and introduces renewable energy sources, all whilst bringing a range of internal benefits to an organisation. In light of this, channel partners must hold their vendors accountable for their sustainable efforts, and encourage transparency so that they are continually striving to improve environmentally friendly developments.”
Matt Frank, Head of Cloud Modernisation at Ancoris adds: “A key factor in the technology industry’s reduction of CO2 emissions has been the consolidation of on-premise data centres into larger-scale Cloud-based facilities. Cloud Providers’ data centres leverage economies of scale to manage power consumption efficiently, optimise cooling, deploy power-efficient servers at scale, and maximise server utilisation. Organisations can take advantage of these benefits as well as the improved security, scalability and potential operational and cost efficiencies migrating to the Cloud brings.”
Utilising Technology To Combat CO2?
Similarly to cloud computing, it seems that other technologies such as IoT and APIs provide a much-needed solution to fighting environmental impacts. Alex Drag, Director of Product Marketing at Gravitee, explains: “IoT and event-driven APIs aren’t just for smart watches, refrigerators, and other connected consumer experiences. They can (and do) also play a huge role in empowering sustainability-relevant companies and technologies.
“IoT sensors at factories can capture, transmit, and measure the amount of CO2 that’s being emitted and stream that data in real time (and based on an event instead of constant polling) to the business so that they can figure out how to either reduce emissions or compensate via programs and initiatives like carbon crediting and capture.”
Highlighting Future-Proofing Initiatives
Moving sectors, Sean Lowry, CTO at Glide Group points out the rise in smart fibre infrastructure, a full fibre broadband solution that supports the growing demand for sustainable development, specifically designed for the Build-to-Rent (BTR) sector.
“Not only do traditional cabling systems waste space, but they also waste energy in a way that is simply impossible to justify. These legacy cabling systems consume large amounts of electricity 24 hours a day, every day, requiring cooling equipment, monitoring equipment and network switches to function” Lowry comments. “We are investing in smart fibre infrastructure to support the BTR sector which in turn supports employees to be flexible, efficient and more sustainable when working from home.” He concludes.
Lee Curtis, Head of Channel, Beyond Encryption notes how societal priorities are changing into a sustainable community that values the wellbeing of the planet and actively fights throw-away culture.
“Our product, Mailock, offers companies a secure digital alternative to environmentally impactful paper correspondence, reducing carbon output and water waste along with other benefits such as increased client engagement. Many tech solutions on the market, although exceptionally smart, are reported to lack overall usability and end up hindering everyday tasks. The number one feedback we have received for Mailock is the amazing simplicity and ease of use it offers customers, helping to streamline processes by seamlessly aligning with workflows.”
It’s become apparent how technology plays a key role in the fight against environmental flaws. As a result, businesses are considering technology as a force of good, delivering sustainable software that assists organisations with the global Net Zero agenda.
