The sustainability blind spot CIOs can’t ignore

In pursuit of lower emissions and reduced operational costs, CIOs continue to prioritize cloud efficiency, workload optimization, and infrastructure. Those efforts undoubtedly matter…but they no longer tell the full story.

While IT sustainability strategies have traditionally homed in on the data center, a growing share of enterprise infrastructure now lives outside of those hubs. 

These digital estates can be found in cameras, sensors, access control systems, and other edge devices. These systems, which span from thousands of devices to tens of thousands at certain companies, often run 24/7, remain deployed for years without optimization, and are rarely monitored with the same rigor as traditional IT assets.

As organizations continue to invest in their digital footprint, the edge is quickly and quietly becoming one of the largest unmeasured sources of energy consumption in enterprise IT.

Axis Communications analyses show that between 60% and 80% of a network camera’s total environmental impact comes from the energy consumed during the use phase of the device. This is primarily because these devices are designed to operate consistently over several years, leading to energy consumption that outweighs the impact of material extraction, manufacturing, and logistics.

For CIOs facing increased accountability around Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions, this fact presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While many decision-makers lack a clear understanding of how much energy these systems actually consume, that uncertainty is compounded by the thousands of connected edge devices organizations manage. Ultimately, you can’t optimize what you don’t measure, and without the clarity, sustainability reporting and strategies remain incomplete.

There is good news via a modern solution. Smarter edge technology can significantly reduce environmental impact while also improving a business’s operational efficiency.

Modern edge devices are designed to do more with less. Developments in intelligent software, hardware, and advanced compression reduce the amount of data that needs to travel across networks or be stored in power-hungry devices. Additional features like high-efficiency SoCs (System on a Chip) and advanced compression can further reduce downstream energy demands tied to bandwidth and storage.

The result? Measurable sustainability gains that don’t sacrifice performance or security.

Efficiency matters at scale

“If you take one of our P32 cameras, the energy consumption during normal use is less than a regular LED light bulb,” says Ulrika Renmark, Sustainability Sales Engagement Director at Axis Communications. “The energy consumption of servers, on the other hand, is measured in hundreds of watts. And if you include the air-conditioning of the server room, then we are talking thousands of watts.”

Renmark points to Zipstream, an Axis-developed optimization technology, which reduces bandwidth and storage needs without sacrificing image quality. Similar innovations can significantly reduce the energy footprint associated with supporting infrastructure, and they represent what responsible edge innovation should look like in today’s high-tech world.

This shift reflects a broader opportunity in enterprise IT. Sustainability gains increasingly come from intelligent architecture decisions rather than standalone sustainability initiatives. Processing data at the edge, where appropriate, can reduce unnecessary cloud traffic, lower latency, and improve resilience, all while minimizing energy consumption.

Hybrid architecture is especially well-positioned to support these goals. By balancing processing between edge devices and the cloud, organizations can optimize performance, security, and sustainability. This approach contributes to improved device lifespan, improved security posture, and reduced operational waste.

Cloud-enabled lifecycle management can further amplify these opportunities. Remote diagnostics, firmware updates, and centralized device management reduce the need for on-site maintenance visits and manual interventions. That not only cuts operational costs but also lowers emissions associated with travel and hardware replacement.

The path forward starts with visibility

In their quest for sustainability, organizations should begin by auditing edge infrastructure to identify where energy consumption is concentrated across devices. Procurement teams should prioritize vendors that provide transparent energy data and demonstrate continuous improvements in efficiency. Sustainability considerations should also extend beyond energy use to include repairability, lifecycle management, and total cost of ownership.

Just as importantly, edge infrastructure should become part of environmental, social, and governance reporting strategies rather than remaining an operational blind spot. Sustainable IT now extends beyond greener data centers or cloud workloads. It’s about building a digital infrastructure that is efficient, resilient, and responsible from core to edge.

The organizations that succeed over the next decade will be the ones that treat sustainability not as a compliance exercise. Rather, it will be those that treat sustainability as a collaborative design principle that’s embedded into every layer of their technology strategy.

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