Despite the many benefits of sustainable IT, organizations are paying little attention to the carbon footprint of their IT operations, a new report from the Capgemini Research Institute claims.
According to the report, sustainable IT initiatives aren’t getting the attention that other green initiatives enjoy, and with less of a spotlight comes less funding.
More than half (57 percent) are unaware of their organization’s IT carbon footprint, and just six percent have achieved a high level of sustainable IT maturity. Less than a quarter (22 percent) plan to reduce more than a quarter of their carbon footprint through sustainable IT in the next three years.
Most businesses don’t have the tools or shared standards to keep track of how their IT impacts the environment. Less than a third (29 percent) use carbon assessment tools, while 34 percent said sustainable IT was part of their agenda at a board level. Less than a quarter (23 percent) use KPIs to track and measure their progress, with just one percent actually hitting any targets.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the benefits sustainable IT practices can bring. Capgemini says organizations that built a comprehensive roadmap improved their ESG scores, customer satisfaction and managed to cut down on taxes.
“Organizations must have the diagnostic tools, strategies, and a roadmap in place to accelerate their journey towards decarbonization,” said Cyril Garcia, CEO of Capgemini Invent.
“Endorsement from all stakeholders in the organization will be critical for success along with sustainable software architecture and change in employee behavior. Beyond the environmental imperative, the business benefits are compelling in terms of bottom line, social status and customer satisfaction.”
