Cultivating sustainability on cloud is believed to be no longer a choice as experts believe this has become imperative for the digital future. The ‘Green Revolution in the Cloud’ is believed to be not just about environmental responsibility but to reshape the enterprise technology landscape. Enterprise technology is responsible for emitting about 350-400 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent gases (CO2e), accounting for about one percent of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as per insights from McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. “The Green Revolution in the Cloud signifies a fundamental shift in the digital world towards more environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient cloud computing practices. It is believed to encompass various strategies and innovations aimed at reducing the environmental impact of data centres and cloud services,” Shrikant Navelkar, Director, Clover Infotech, a IT services and consulting company, told FE-TransformX.
Industry experts believe that communications, media, and services , among others, contribute the largest share of technology-related scope 2 and scope 3 GHG emissions. Enterprise technology’s contribution to total emissions is especially high for the insurance sector, upto 45% of total scope 2 emissions. In addition to this, the GHG emissions by the banking and investment sector can add about 36%, as per insights from McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. It is believed that many organisations and governments looking to combat climate change are turning to tech for help. Artificial Intelligence (AI), new technologies, and some tech-driven business models, among others, are expected to have raised hopes for more sustainable progress. Case in point, Google has offset all historical emissions since its founding in 1998 and pledged to operate on completely carbon-free energy, 24 hours a day by 2030.
As it is understood, the Green Revolution for cloud should mainly focus on enhancing energy efficiency through server design and power management, adopting renewable energy sources to power data centres, optimising data centre locations, and promoting resource-efficient virtualisation technologies, among others. About 98% of CEOs believe that it is their role to make their business more sustainable. And, in 2022, nearly three-quarters of CEOs agreed they were accountable for their firm’s sustainability performance, up from just 19% in 2013, as per a report by Accenture. “ Fast-paced digital transformation, cloud adoption, and consequent data deluge are believed to make businesses rethink their cloud and data strategies. Today, sustainability is a key deciding factor when implementing hybrid multi-cloud infrastructures. Businesses need to understand that with the right tools and through efficient data management, cloud costs can be reduced significantly. Ongoing energy challenges, on the other hand, require innovative solutions and energy-efficient technologies,” Shuja Mirza, director, solutions engineering, NetApp India, a data storage and data management services company, explained.
The first step towards a sustainable cloud journey is expected to start with selecting a carbon-thoughtful provider. Cloud operators set different corporate commitments towards sustainability, which in turn determine how they plan, build, power, operate, and retire their data centers. “ The digital revolution that is currently sweep-transforming the way we live is believed to have the potential to reduce levels of energy consumption and harmful emissions. Digital technologies such as blockchain, big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and next-gen wireless platforms, among others, can speed up work already being done in the green space,” Vinay Menon, vice president, talent management, infrastructure management and security services, Happiest Minds Technologies, a digital transformation IT consulting and services company, said, adding that an upgraded digital ecosystem might inspire innovations in the green tech domain giving rise to enterprises that can be able to address the climate crisis.
As businesses and consumers, together, focus on eco-friendly computing solutions, the industry might embrace changes to reduce its carbon footprint and promote a more sustainable digital future. This is expected to underscore the vital role that cloud technology plays in mitigating environmental concerns while continuing to fuel the growth and innovation of the digital world.“By securing networks and critical data through a suite of managed innovative offerings, such as the Carbon Sense suite by Google, the foundation of digital ecosystems could be prepared against evolving threats. Moreover, sustainable infrastructure isn’t just a buzzword today, it’s a competitive advantage. This eventually bridges the gap between environmental consciousness and cutting-edge technology, showcasing how they can synergise,” Vaibhav Tare, VP, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Fulcrum Digital, a digital solution engineering company, concluded.
