Faced with the urgency of climate change and new European regulatory requirements, digital responsibility is gradually becoming a major governance issue for companies.

Faced with the urgency of climate change and new European regulatory requirements, digital responsibility is gradually becoming a major governance issue for companies. The situation is urgent: the digital sector must reduce its emissions by 45% to 62% between 2020 and 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. From now on, the Green IT strategy will go beyond mere compliance: it will become a lever for performance, innovation and resilience. Let's take a closer look at the initiatives, tools and challenges shaping this transformation.

By S&D Magazine

 

A corporate governance issue

Green IT has become a key governance issue. Aware of the need to structure their approach to digital responsibility, senior executives are taking it on board. Today, 39% of entities have appointed a GreenIT manager, compared with 27% 5 years ago. What's more, 73% of them sit on the COMEX, compared with 21% in 2020. This trend is largely driven by new regulatory requirements, particularly at European level. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires companies to report on numerous sustainability-related measures, including Scope 3 emissions, which include the ecological footprint of information technologies. Committing to a Green IT strategy also strengthens resilience, while reducing dependence on critical resources such as rare earths.

 

Solutions exist and are being implemented

Today, 59% of companies integrating digital applications adopt at least one Green IT best practice, compared to just 34% five years ago. In fact, more and more companies are offering innovative solutions to help organizations move towards a Green IT approach. One of these is Greenweb's Digital Forest, an eco-friendly, ethical and sovereign web hosting solution. Thanks to an optimized infrastructure - 98% recycled servers, renewable energy, natural cooling - customers can reduce their environmental footprint by a factor of five... GreenWeb also offers Green IT Impact, a tool for measuring the environmental impact of digital technologies and facilitating the deployment of a Green IT approach within companies or local authorities. The result: up to 40% less environmental impact and 30% savings on IT budgets. Proof that a Green IT approach can also rhyme with economic efficiency. Companies like Decathlon are at the forefront of these issues. "From the outset, Decathlon understood that the challenge was not simply to reduce the digital footprint.

Hence our dual leadership role, as part of a broader vision that includes the use of digital tools to support responsible innovation," explains Nathalie Otte, green IT project leader. In terms of digital responsibility, the company is focusing on raising awareness. A worldwide network of 25 ambassadors is currently raising awareness among employees at all levels. A training program tailored to the different professions has also been set up. But like many others, the company is faced with the challenge of measuring the impact of its action in favor of responsible digital technology. "That doesn't stop us from continuing to act according to the principle of common sense. In the same way, we are aware that certain choices in favor of digital responsibility have an impact on our competitiveness in the marketplace. We fully accept them, because we have decided to prioritize sustainability and environmental responsibility over short-term gain," continues Nathalie Otte. In addition to its comprehensive Green IT and digital inclusion strategy, La Poste Group has also established criteria for responsible IT purchasing. Whether in terms of hosting, software or hardware, all IT purchases will gradually be made more responsible, and now include the key elements of the responsible purchasing policy.

 

Continuing efforts

Nevertheless, there are still a number of black spots. Starting with end-of-life management of IT equipment. Collection and recycling facilities are still underdeveloped. Companies have to deal with obsolete equipment themselves, generating additional costs. Only 36% of companies entrust their equipment to an eco-organization, despite the fact that 64% of them claim to be familiar with e-waste regulations... Efforts that can be profitable, moreover, since 69% of managers today see eco-responsibility as an opportunity for economic growth.

On this World Environment Day, let's not forget that digital must not be just another problem to be solved, but part of the solution. Between responsible innovation and technological sobriety, companies have in their hands a powerful lever for preserving what is most precious to us: our planet.