IT: The Unsung Heroes Driving Sustainability and Change

Sustainability has moved from a buzzword to a boardroom priority. But what may surprise many is that the unsung heroes driving this change are not in environmental departments — they’re in IT.

As a chief sustainability officer, I have witnessed firsthand this transition — and the challenges and opportunities that come with it — at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and culture in the tech sector. I couldn’t be more convinced of the stealthy role IT has to play in the twin agendas of digital transformation and decarbonization.

In my work, I have seen colleagues in tech roles often do not immediately see themselves or their work as central to the pursuit of sustainability goals. Many in tech roles assume sustainability is someone else’s job — a task for environmental departments or corporate leaders. There’s often a perception there is little they can do.

But what if the data centers powering our digital age become leaders in sustainability? What if IT teams hold the key to decarbonization?

IT professionals and tech leaders have a tremendous opportunity to drive real impact. The software systems and infrastructure they manage are at the heart of what can make or break sustainability efforts in an organization today. Still, they are also critical to the resilience strategies of the future. Recognizing this critical role is key to unlocking the transformative potential of IT-driven sustainability.

The Urgency of an IT-Driven Approach to Sustainability

IT practitioners are uniquely positioned to lead the charge in sustainability for their organizations because of the transformative potential of the technologies they create and deploy.

Consider our reliance on data centers. These on-prem, hybrid, and cloud powerhouses of the digital age are also significant energy consumers. Without a sustainability strategy in place, data centers stand to overshadow the airline industry in the scale and scope of their carbon footprint. As we continue to generate more data, the energy demand only grows.

Yet this challenge is a significant opportunity for IT. By leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, IT can help the organization better optimize energy use, reduce waste, and improve the overall efficiency of enterprise IT operations. For example, AI-powered sustainability dashboards — like NetApp’s BlueXP Sustainability Dashboard — are already helping businesses track their carbon emissions and set realistic, impactful targets for reduction.

As this example shows, deploying great tech solutions and prioritizing sustainability doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. Instead, the call to action should be striving for the “Goldilocks zone” — the solution that is just right. We can deliver transformative impact by enabling organizations to take an intelligent approach to data, dramatically reduce their carbon footprints, transition to renewable energy, and implement energy-efficient solutions that are essential for a sustainable IT future.

SEE: All You Need to Know about Greentech

Reigniting Circularity in IT Purchasing

However, sustainability isn’t just about energy efficiency. It’s also about rethinking how we design, build, and dispose of our technology.

In addition to energy, another critical aspect of IT-driven sustainability is operationalizing a circular business model. A circular economy is a system where resources are reused, recycled, and repurposed, minimizing waste and the environmental footprint of products. The traditional linear “take, make, dispose” model is no longer viable in a world with finite resources.

Again, this challenge presents an opportunity: designing and building digital infrastructure for the future by prioritizing innovation and product development goals that aim at reducing, reusing, and recycling materials across the entire product lifecycle.

The tech industry has made strides over the years in this area, as “Design for the environment” is not a new concept. Advancements in hardware design now focus on modularity and recyclability, ensuring that devices can be easily upgraded, repaired, and recycled. This shift reduces the environmental impact of electronic waste and creates new business opportunities in the circular economy.

But companies can do more. Organizations can make circularity a design principle in engineering and take action to bake it into product operation. NetApp, for instance, has prioritized designing products with longer lifespans, using recycled materials, and implementing take-back programs that ensure our products’ responsible disposal and recycling. This strategy supports a more sustainable ecosystem and invests in the growing demand for responsible technology.

SEE: Google’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increased by 48% Since 2019, Thanks to AI Pursuits

Mapping Sustainability and IT Agendas

The intersection of IT and sustainability is filled with possibilities for organizations committed to meeting and exceeding their sustainability goals. IT professionals can make an impact in their organizations and lead the way in building a sustainable future by:

However, activating a sustainability innovation agenda in IT requires more than just technology — it requires a shift in mindset. We must recognize that sustainability is not a separate initiative or compliance task but an opportunity for IT to drive value to the business, enhance resilience, and enable long-term success. Sustainability-driven IT decisions today will impact sustainability now and in future generations.

IT practitioners are no strangers to transformation. By stepping up as sustainability leaders today, they have the unique chance to drive real-world change — not just for their companies but for the planet.

Nicola Acutt is the chief sustainability officer at NetApp, Inc., with over 20 years of experience in business, technology, and sustainability. Previously, she was Chief Sustainability Officer at VMware, leading a 30-person team. Nicola has worked across business, government, academia, and nonprofits, including roles at Presidio Graduate School and Common Ground Consulting. She holds a B.S. from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. from the University of East Anglia.