TECH & AI
“ Companies are considering the environmental impact of technologies such as AI and taking action to reduce them by shifting workloads to sustainable data centres , moving operations to the cloud or restricting usage .
“ Reporting standards for measuring and disclosing emissions allow companies to be open and transparent about their environmental performance when undergoing a digital transformation . This can allow companies to build a competitive advantage , improve their reputation and contribute to developing a net zero economy for all .”
The early stage development of technologies and digital strategy presents a unique opportunity to include the environmental impact whilst onboarding and developing .
Dark data : A black hole of energy wastage As technology develops , the amount of data we are processing grows . Dark data – information that is collecte but not used – accounts for over half of all stored data and is responsible for extensive energy wastage .
In the United States , power consumption due to data centre data storage was estimated to be at 14 billion kWh in 2020 , resulting in almost 6.5 metric tons of CO2 emissions .
“ Businesses and data centres should start by simply taking control of data storage , assessing the storage rules and ensuring they are not holding data that is no longer needed ,” believes Aoife Foley ,
“Technology has the potential to positively impact many environmental issues , but it can also have unintended consequences ”
DR JAMES ROBEY EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT , GLOBAL HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY , CAPGEMINI
94 May 2024