The importance of sustainable IT

Understand why sustainability is a topic that deserves attention also in the IT sector.

Sustainability is part of the daily life of large companies, even those specific to the IT segment and those that have their own IT department. The reason is simple: ecological issues are addressed extensively in all companies. There has never been so much talk about sustainability, environmental preservation or rational use of natural and energy resources.

The issue has aroused so much interest that for some years IT companies have been investigating how to act in this scenario or how to change their internal behaviors, i.e. paying greater attention to environmental awareness and promoting sustainability actions. But how to promote sustainability in the Information Technology segment?

How can CIOs reconcile Big Data with ROI?

Before answering this question, it is important to highlight the company’s sustainable actions to be valued in every sense, both in the corporate world and also in the way society views its actions. In 2011, the Instituto Sin Fronteras, a non-profit organization specialized in conducting research and courses in the IT, telecommunications and Internet sectors, conducted research with 1,140 companies and of these, almost half (44%) had a sustainability policy, i.e. they adopted “Green IT”.

Sustainability in Information Technology can be applied to any company, as it is a way to reduce waste and increase process efficiency. Green IT corresponds to the sum of the energy economy with the management of resources coming from the production chains and the entire cycle from the extraction of raw materials to the end of the useful life of the equipment, including their disposal. In some cases, “Green IT” still helps reduce waste and increase the efficiency of resources used by computers.

With this change, companies specializing in computers have started to produce products that are considered more efficient, that is, they consume less electricity and are environmentally friendly.

IT and sustainable development

The IT area is a business need that helps from managing administrative processes to optimizing the services offered to customers. This is because, thanks to the IT department, companies learn to know their customers and therefore improve the service. The company can also set goals and strategies to attract new customers, as well as retain existing ones. And all in the name of sustainability, applying «Green IT» to the maximum in all company processes. In short, the main goal of any company is to reduce the damage caused to the environment and maintain a sustainable culture, a position that has gradually been adopted.

8 promises of innovation that the Internet of Things will bring to companies

Currently, research in the field indicates that small and medium-sized enterprises have not yet adopted this behavior in processes involving information technology and others have adopted it in some parts. The justification for this behavior is simple: it is a change that will bring long-term benefits, which is why a considerable investment is necessary, a benefit that can often disturb already pre-established planning.

As with every theme, there are two versions, despite the justifications given, it is worth highlighting that responsibility towards the environment acts as a tool for disseminating company objectives, becoming a strong marketing tool, capable of generating a positive return for the company image.

It is worth noting that according to “ITWEB (2009) the Latin America Green IT Survey 2009: Brazil and México Highlights”, 70% of organizations consider it important to invest in “Green IT” by promoting the reduction of companies’ impact on the environment.

Green IT and its employability

“Green IT” is not just limited to the production of eco-friendly equipment. Initiatives such as solar panels to convert it into electricity and bring electricity to the most distant cities at no cost to the consumer; Sustainable measures also include energy rationalization plans, including the replacement of mercury lighting with more efficient sodium lamps, the replacement of conventional monitors with LCD ones, the replacement of more modern and lower consumption computers, the reduction of the use and downsizing of air conditioners, the consolidation of printers and Data Centers.

With this panorama, it is evident that sustainability is already part of the plans of many entrepreneurs, since “Green IT” has made important steps by entrepreneurs and society in general, who observe the company that uses the most diverse products, as an entity that is attentive to environmental issues and that does its part for a better world.

Sources:

http://www.devmedia.com.br/ti-sustentavel-conceito-solucoes-e-consequencias/29394

http://www.algartech.com/portugues/noticias/em-noticia/solucoes/ti-verde-sera-diferencial-das-empresas-de-tecnologia/

http://www.techoje.com.br/site/techoje/categoria/detalhe_artigo/1178