Sustainability and know-how methods must develop into extra tightly aligned as companies set extra bold ESG objectives so as to acquire aggressive benefit, monetary worth and a long-lasting constructive impression on society and the surroundings, in keeping with new analysis from skilled providers agency Accenture—however solely 7 % of respondents have absolutely built-in their enterprise, know-how and sustainability methods right now.
All 560 corporations surveyed as a part of the report, Uniting Expertise and Sustainability: How one can Get Full Worth from Your Sustainable Expertise Technique, ranked know-how as essential or crucial for attaining their sustainability objectives. However whereas corporations see clear worth in having an built-in technique, they cite a scarcity of options and requirements (40 %), complexity (33 %) and lack of know-how of unintended penalties of know-how (20 %) as obstacles to reaching their objectives.
This hole between intent and motion is main corporations to make trade-offs between enterprise and sustainability objectives—trade-offs that may be decreased or eradicated with a holistic, sustainable know-how technique. Chief Data Officers (CIOs) can play a important position in supporting their firm’s total transformation efforts and will have a seat on the desk on sustainability selections.
A 3-dimensional method to make AI inexperienced:
However most don’t—in truth, solely 49 % of CIOs are a part of the management staff setting sustainability objectives, and simply 45 % are assessed on attaining these objectives
“Each enterprise should be a sustainable enterprise and know-how is a important and elementary enabler—from bettering transparency and traceability in world provide chains, to serving to measure and cut back carbon emissions,” mentioned Sanjay Podder, know-how sustainability innovation lead at Accenture, in a information launch. “It’s now not merely elective to place sustainability on the core of how organizations function. A sustainable know-how technique—one which embeds sustainability in know-how, drives sustainability by know-how, and scales sustainability by participating the ecosystem—will assist corporations ship 360° worth and contribute to the achievement of their broader sustainability objectives.”
The three elements of an efficient sustainable know-how technique:
An efficient sustainable know-how technique helps drive enterprise development and ESG efficiency by delivering on three key imperatives:
Sustainability by know-how
Utilizing the ability of know-how to allow and speed up sustainability efforts throughout the group. Ninety-two % of corporations surveyed purpose to attain net-zero targets by 2030, which would require deployment of superior applied sciences to measure, cut back and take away a corporation’s carbon footprint. Expertise can also be key for shifting towards accountable worth chains; selling sustainable selections for purchasers; and constructing a sustainable group. Of the businesses surveyed that efficiently decreased emissions in manufacturing and operations, 70% used synthetic intelligence (AI) to do it.
Sustainability in know-how
Defending individuals and the planet by making know-how itself progressively extra sustainable. As extra individuals go browsing and the usage of know-how will increase, so do the carbon emissions from IT. Embracing inexperienced software program that’s each carbon environment friendly and carbon conscious; constructing reliable programs that incorporate privateness, equity, transparency, robustness and accessibility; and instituting the best governance mechanisms should be prioritized. Solely two of the 560 corporations surveyed mentioned they think about power effectivity in any respect phases of the software program growth lifecycle, indicating appreciable room for enchancment. The report identifies a strong inexperienced software program growth framework that prioritizes materials emissions areas together with the software program growth life cycle, in addition to inexperienced digital expertise, cloud, edge, knowledge facilities, AI, distributed ledger know-how and infrastructure.
Sustainability at scale
Pursuing breakthrough innovation with ecosystem companions to develop radically totally different and extra sustainable methods of doing enterprise sooner or later. No group can deal with world sustainability challenges at scale by itself. Corporations should work past the boundaries of their very own organizations to satisfy the United Nations Sustainable Improvement Targets (SDGs). Forty-three % of corporations surveyed are actually becoming a member of trade collaborations, alliances and advocacy teams targeted on eco-friendly know-how.
How sustainable tech contributes worth in numerous kinds:
“Creating and implementing a complete sustainable know-how technique—one which makes use of know-how to drive sustainability at scale whereas additionally making know-how itself extra sustainable—is now the core mission of the purpose-driven CIO,” Podder added. “The duty is big, however the alternative to drive new sources of worth and paved the way to a extra sustainable future is even larger.”
Inexperienced software program framework:
Obtain the total report right here.
The analysis was performed in September and October 2021 through an internet survey. The pattern comprised of 560 CIOs, CTOs, chief sustainability officers, and people instantly reporting to them (administrators, VPs) from corporations with greater than US$1 billion income. The analysis spanned 12 nations and 11 industries.
