How to be environmentally friendly in the IT business?

On June 5th we mark World Environment Day?which encourages awareness and action?for the?protection of the environment. This subject is important to me in my role as CEE & EM Region Leader at Kyndryl. I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what we can do as IT organizations to reduce our environmental footprint.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT sector) has an important role to play, as it represented?～4% of global electricity consumption in 2020. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the ICT sector produced 1.4% of global GHG emissions in 2020 and it has increased its emissions by about 5% from 2015. One of the reasons may be that since 2010, the number of internet users worldwide has more than doubled, while global internet traffic has expanded 20-fold. According to Schneider Electric’s report which was released end of May 2021, as a result of the increased digitalisation, the electricity usage from IT is expected to rise by 50% by 2030, reaching a total of 3,200TWh, a compound annual growth rate?(CAGR)?of 5 percent.

Increased demand for IT services means that the industry faces several challenges to meet net zero goals and it makes applying more environmentally friendly solutions even more necessary. There are many ways to adopt sustainable practices and also technologies that can benefit both the environment and business.

In this article, I will share some of the ways that IT companies can be more environmentally and socially responsible and share what actions Kyndryl has been taking to meet our sustainability goals.

Some of the steps that IT companies can take to become more sustainable:

- Use renewable energy sources: switching to renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, or hydro power can reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, lower the carbon footprint, and save costs in the long run. Some of the leading IT companies that have committed to using 100% renewable energy include Google, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft.

- Implement energy-efficient solutions: solutions, such as cloud computing, virtualization, data center optimization, and smart devices can help to improve the performance, scalability, and reliability of IT systems, while reducing the need for physical infrastructure, cooling, and maintenance.

- Recycle e-waste responsibly: IT companies can reduce the amount of e-waste they generate by extending the lifespan of their devices, repairing and refurbishing old equipment, donating or reselling surplus or obsolete items, and recycling or disposing of them in an environmentally responsible way.

- Promote green awareness and education: Raising awareness among employees, customers and partners can involve creating and sharing green policies, goals, and best practices, providing training and incentives to encourage green behaviour, supporting green initiatives and campaigns, and engaging in dialogue and collaboration with other organizations and communities.

What we do at Kyndryl?

Kyndryl cares about addressing climate risk and environmental operational efficiency, ensuring system performance, being a reliable IT Infrastructure services provider, and differentiating itself in the market through our sustainability programs.

We demonstrate this by monitoring, evaluating and reporting on our global environmental footprint and net zero targets and goals, meeting relevant government requirements, expanding our environmental education programs and partnerships, and investing in new sustainability solutions. We also oversee our supply chain to make sure that we meet our global commitments to provide responsible solutions both now and in the future. In our Corporate Citizenship Report, we have detailed multiple ESG initiatives that are helping us achieve these goals and also making technology a catalyst for greater sustainability.

?Renewable resources and energy efficient solutions:

In Kyndryl globally, we have pledged to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. Our near term 2030 goals aim to lower our GHG emissions by 50% and obtain 100% of our purchased electricity from renewable sources. To promote sustainable operations throughout our supply chain, Kyndryl joined the Responsible Business Alliance, and we are working with EcoVadis to manage our supplier program. ?

From CDP, a non-profit organization that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts, we obtained a “B” rating on fiscal year 2023 climate disclosures, which is above industry and global averages. We obtained an “A-” score on the 2023 Supplier Engagement Rating (SER) for engaging our suppliers on climate change. In addition to which, Kyndryl has established one of the largest data center portfolios accepted in the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres.

Handling e-waste responsibly:

Kyndryl has set strict waste compliance requirements and management processes across all our sites where we have operational control. For e-waste specifically, we estimate that 93.4% was diverted from landfills for fiscal year 2023 and our plan is to divert 100% of our e-waste by 2030.

?Promotion and cooperation for green awareness:

We recently released the findings of the?Global Sustainability Barometer, a study we conducted with Microsoft and Ecosystm, reflecting the perspectives of more than 1,500 technology and sustainability business leaders across 16 countries to understand how strategically important sustainability was to their organizations and how they see technology helping them achieve their sustainability goals.

?Our study has shown that although 85% of organizations place a high strategic importance on achieving sustainability goals, only 16% have integrated sustainability into their strategies and data collection and analysis. Through our sustainability partnership with Microsoft we aim to narrow the gap between sustainability intention and action by enabling customers to fully harness the power of technology.?

?In collaboration with Microsoft, we can implement end-to-end solutions that enable customers to achieve their net zero goals. By getting to the heart of their data they can quantify their emissions, understand their usage, and make more impactful sustainability decisions. Our open integration platform Kyndryl Bridge facilitates data analysis and resources management as it seamlessly integrates operational data, AI and Kyndryl expertise. It offers an AI-powered Sustainability Intelligence and Carbon Footprint Assessment Calculator that helps customers proactively measure real-time energy consumption and emission data to generate actionable recommendations to improve their entire IT estate.

Education and Engagement:

We run dedicated Employee Awareness and Engagement Programs to increase their awareness and sensitivity to protecting our environment. During Earth Month 2024 we invited external speakers to our events to discuss Plastics Sustainability and Environmental Equity and presented various environment preservation methods and initiatives outside of our company. Via DEED platform many Kyndryl employees volunteered their time to participate in cleaning the Earth events or supported chosen charities with donations. Additionally, through Kyndryl’s partnership with One Tree Planted, we’ve helped plant 290,000 trees since November 2021. In Poland Kyndryl has partnered with the University of Warsaw to help mitigate the impacts of climate change through knowledge transfer at hackathons, roundtables, and research projects.

We run many educational programs, for example, over 14,000 employees have completed our Mission Net Zero course, over 500 Kyndryl completed the Carbon Literacy Education program globally, which accounted for 3000+ hours of learning. We also offer programs like our Eco Stream Network and Green Guild for employees to enhance their understanding of sustainability and environmental practices from personal and business perspectives.

In conclusion, being committed to environmental sustainability is not only a sign of responsible business, but also a strategic opportunity for IT companies. By adopting environmentally responsible practices and technologies, IT companies can not only reduce their environmental impact, but also enhance their reputation and help their customers in reaching sustainability goals, through increasing innovation. As we mark world Environment Day, let us commit to making our IT industry more sustainable and responsible, for the benefit of our planet and our future.