[Advertorial] How big is the ecological footprint of our company’s IT infrastructure and operations? As a CIO or digital decision maker, you may have heard this question before. If not, it’s just a matter of time.

The European context is of great importance. The European Energy Efficiency Directive sets the goal of reducing the EU’s final energy consumption by 11.7% by 2030. In addition, the annual energy saving target for final energy consumption will be gradually increased between 2024 and 2030.

Today, not enough CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs and top managers are aware that in an increasingly digitalized world, IT also has to contribute to CO reduction₂Your company’s footprint as part of a comprehensive ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy.

The paradox of digital sustainability

Most large companies around the world are talking about driving digital development through the use of new technologies. However, this can lead to an increase in CO₂Due to the increased energy consumption of IT resources, devices, tools and platforms, your company’s footprint decreases. But how can this be translated into numbers?

The number of connected devices is expected to reach 55.7 billion by 2025, 75% of which will be connected to an IoT platform. The data generated by these devices is expected to grow to 73.1 zettabytes in just two years. This growth in data volumes will lead to increasing adoption of technologies. AI, the key to creating value from huge amounts of data, is one of them.

Digital transformation and sustainability go hand in hand. Digitalization and technology play a crucial role in decarbonizing the economy – in fact, they are the key to success. But at the same time, digital technologies can be part of the problem if not used correctly.

This paradox may seem obvious, but promoting IT-driven sustainability initiatives is not yet an obligation for CIOs or technology leaders. According to Capgemini, only 18% of companies have a mature and comprehensive sustainable IT strategy with clearly defined goals and timelines.

Time to act

IT sustainability is still a relatively young discipline and there are not many published use cases with guidance on how to approach it. Where should we start? How do we adapt our IT initiative to the goal of climate neutrality? These questions represent a major challenge.

Green IT as part of a sustainable business strategy

As a global impact company, we have placed ESG values ​​at the heart of our business. We have been raising the bar in all dimensions of sustainability for 15 years. In 2021, Schneider Electric released its Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSIs), detailing the company’s sustainability commitments. In line with this, the Green IT program was launched, a sustainable IT initiative that identifies new and intelligent decarbonization paths to reduce annual IT emissions by at least 5%.

The focus of the program is the IT software EcoStruxure, which is used worldwide to improve the resilience and security of IT activities.

Our 2022 results showed that we saved 3,171 tonnes of CO₂Thanks to us, emissions are avoided and reduced (equivalent to 12.5 million car kilometers driven). Green IT program:

The answer is our extensive Green IT program:

• IT infrastructure, including our EcoStruxure IT solutions deployed at Schneider Electric facilities around the world
• Business collaboration strategies consistent with the company’s comprehensive approach to efficiency and sustainability
• Green adoption practices are available to all employees through internal communications and training

In addition, Schneider Electric has integrated a new, easy-to-use sustainability component into its EcoStruxure IT data center Infrastructure Management Tooling (DCIM). This allows IT administrators to view and monitor key sustainability parameters at the touch of a button. Thanks to data analysis based on models and algorithms, you now receive a practical overview in just a few seconds that can be easily exported.

With this solution, companies can also better prepare for new regulations, such as the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, which will require reporting on the energy consumption of IT and data centers from September 2024.

Today at Schneider Electric we can say that we have successfully developed a deep understanding of IT sustainability – and a clear vision of where we are going. Our efforts have recently been recognized with several awards. The SustainableIT.org Award, the Globee Awards for Information Technology and the DocuSign Award demonstrate that sustainability is a business imperative and should shape IT decisions now and in the years to come.

For now, a recommendation: If you are a CIO starting your IT sustainability journey, start by measuring overall energy consumption. Check out the following guide with a simple 3-step framework.

This is a commercial contribution from Schneider Electric. The publishers are not responsible for the content.