Sustainable IT ideas are not taken seriously – despite the huge savings they offer
Despite the healthy cost savings that sustainable IT initiatives promise, a new report from Gartner finds that green technology opportunities remain underutilized.
A survey of 200 executives from North America, Europe and Asia Pacific found that fewer than one in three organizations have implemented sustainable IT.
Transparency around supplier emissions performance data is essential for adoption, but survey respondents indicate that a lack of information is a major problem.
Companies struggle to embrace sustainable technology
About two in three (64%) say they are not receiving the emissions performance data they need from vendors. Kristin Moyer, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, noted, “Because of these limitations, some executives struggle to prioritize sustainable IT initiatives or know where to start.”
Gartner noted that significant progress has been made in data center (86%) and digital workplace (79%) initiatives, where executives have achieved the most sustainable IT initiatives.
Right-sizing uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and advanced cooling techniques such as immersion, passive cooling and direct-to-chip cooling can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in data centers, but adoption rates are low.
Closer to day-to-day operations, only one in five (22%) are integrating circularity by purchasing refurbished assets in the workplace to reduce both emissions and e-waste. Many organisations continue to refurbish their devices based on a fixed lifespan, rather than using analytics to optimise replacement timing.
Looking ahead, Gartner expects PC-as-a-service adoption to grow to 50% of PC purchases by 2027, up from 20% last year. The firm says the need for more sustainable and cost-effective IT practices will be key to driving this trend.