As societal issues such as climate change and inequality become more widely accepted as business responsibilities, sustainability has moved far beyond its previous home in facilities, operations, or supply chain teams.
Today, sustainability is a board-level priority – and for some IT leaders, it’s now part of the job description.
For George Michalitsianos, Vice President of Information Security at global manufacturing firm Ansell, contributing to the company’s net zero ambitions involves both “smaller” and “bigger” actions.
“There are more traditional, tactical things that IT can do to help, like reducing electronics waste and recycling our devices,” he says. “But at the bigger end, we’re using AI to figure out our emissions, monitoring our processes and making them more efficient. There are areas where IT data and analytics can really help us innovate and meet our objectives.”
IT leaders acting as key players in climate strategy is a relatively new phenomenon. But in a world of energy-intensive digital infrastructure and AI tools, it’s understandable that many CIOs feel they can no longer stay on the sidelines. Enterprise technology is now one of the largest contributors to enterprise emissions – accounting for up to 45% of Scope 2 emissions.
Sergio Tagliapietra, VP of Information Technology at a global fashion brand, adds: “If we define sustainability as responsible resource use, then the rise of generative AI presents an immediate challenge. But while AI’s energy demands are concerning today, I’m optimistic that these technologies may eventually eliminate many of those abstraction layers, unlocking unprecedented efficiency.”
The good news is that, with their oversight of technology and strategy, CIOs are in a powerful position to align sustainability with innovation, driving growth while advancing environmental and social progress. They can encourage sustainable practices, not at the cost of organizational performance, but as a complement to it.
And with one of the most powerful levers for reducing emissions at their fingertips, CIOs’ influence on sustainability isn’t just growing – it’s essential.
Lessons from Formula 1®: adapt rapidly, reduce emissions, improve inclusion
Tata Communications is the Official Broadcast Connectivity Provider of Formula 1®
When it comes to using technology to adapt in moments of disruption – and then turning that adaptation into long-term impact – Formula 1®’s shift to remote production stands out.
For years, the sport relied on high-speed logistics and in-person technical teams traversing the globe. Large teams of people had to be physically present at 24 track locations across five continents over the course of the season.
But when the pandemic hit, its intensive global travel model became untenable. So, with Tata Communications as a key partner, the Formula 1® team reengineered its operations, shifting to a remote production model.
Thanks to a high-capacity global fiber network and ultra-low latency bandwidth, real-time feeds from racetracks could be transmitted back to a centralized UK hub in just 200 milliseconds. This allowed teams to broadcast events remotely without compromising performance, all while driving significant reductions in carbon emissions.
So, what started as a crisis response quickly became a new standard. Today, much of the broadcast team remains remote, with live feeds, data, and telemetry streamed over Tata Communications’ global network.
By reducing the need for constant international travel, Formula 1® created a more inclusive and diverse environment. And in an industry that’s already high-pressure, fostering more sustainable operations has also helped drive more people-friendly practices.
“CIOs with the right mindset are uniquely positioned to drive sustainability without compromising performance,” says Dino Trevisani, Vice President and Head of the Americas Region at Tata Communications. “Just look at Formula 1® – they cut emissions and improved inclusion without sacrificing the world-class experience fans expect.”
With the right partners guiding them towards smarter digital decisions, CIOs can devise creative ways to align sustainability priorities with the broader digital transformation strategy. And in the end, not only make their organizations greener, but also stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive.
Measure everything
Not every business runs a global sporting event, but every CIO does have the opportunity to rethink what really needs to happen in person.
Leaders should ask themselves a few strategic questions:
- What processes can be digitized or centralized?
- Where can infrastructure be made more energy efficient?
- What’s the equivalent of “remote production” in our industry?
One principle is undeniable: use digital tools to measure everything. And CIOs are best placed to turn that principle into practice, because IT holds another key sustainability advantage: visibility.
From real-time analytics to systems monitoring, CIOs already oversee many of the tools needed to measure emissions and track energy use. These same capabilities can underpin enterprise-wide climate reporting, helping organizations move from ambition to action.
As Ansell’s George Michalitsianos observes: “Being a manufacturing company, there are a lot of processes and ESG related data that we can collect and report on. That’s where IT and the business can partner together to meet that larger sustainability goal.”
This isn’t about adding sustainability to the CIO’s plate – it’s about recognizing that the tools for change are already in their hands. They don’t need to become climate scientists, but they do need to understand the footprint of their infrastructure, the power of their data, and the influence of their decisions.
And with the right mindset – and the right partners – CIOs can help lead the shift to a lower-carbon future.
Because sustainability isn’t just a story of supply chains and offsets. It’s also one of networks, smart IT strategy, and policies that result in more thoughtful enterprises.
For more information on how to make your organization more sustainable click here.
Read More from This Article: Why sustainability belongs on the CIO’s agenda
Source: News