By Sanjay Rohatgi

Data’s flow to the cloud is fueling unparalleled innovation and business growth. That’s why many observers call data ‘the new oil’. And, like oil, data is the core of an industry that is under increased scrutiny as a major source of global carbon emissions in a world that’s adapting to the realities of climate change.

As data — and the industry that supports it — increases our collective contributions to global carbon emissions, organisations need to understand their impact and take steps to mitigate it. These include investments in technologies that generate and store renewable energy and carbon capture. Companies should also learn how to manage their data to fuel a sustainable future.

Data is part of the solution
A report by CRISIL estimates that the Indian data centre market is expected to double to 1,700-1,800 megawatt1 (MW) by fiscal 2025 from 870 MW last fiscal. However, it is unrealistic for organisations to stop producing or storing data in today’s world. Rather, they need to get better use out of their data.

Also Read: CapitaLand to invest Rs 1,940 cr on third data centre in India

The first step is to understand the data they have, where it is stored and how it is used. Globally, only 32% of data available to enterprises is put to work; the remaining 68% is not even used, according to a research by IDC. Organisations can reduce their carbon footprint by learning how much of their data they use, how much of their data they need, and getting rid of the rest.

Moving to the cloud
Organisations can further lower their carbon emissions by moving their data to the cloud. A forecast from IDC shows that continued adoption of cloud computing could prevent the emission of more than 1 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from 2021 through 2024. A key benefit of the cloud is the greater efficiency of aggregated compute resources.

As cloud and technology adoption proliferate, cloud and data software companies have an important role in reducing the data industry’s environmental impact.

To further mitigate the environmental impact of data, companies can source for cloud and data center service providers that invest in technologies that increase resource utilisation and leverage their scale to influence the energy generation mix. Furthermore, organisations should look for service providers that design and outfit their data centers for energy efficiency. The energy optimisation measures they can implement include leveraging ambient cooling and cold-aisle containment features to optimise the energy used to cool equipment. Efficient lighting and smart controls can also play a crucial role in lowering data centres’ carbon emissions in the long run.

Organisations should leverage a ‘cloud-first’ strategy to create a highly sustainable approach to data storage. This can significantly lower their carbon footprint and make a more meaningful impact on our environment.

The writer is senior VP & general manager, APAC, NetApp