It’s Time to Get Serious About Sustainable Technology

A recent article appearing on Forbes states, “As sustainable technology becomes more prevalent, leaders need to be informed about the options available and how they can be incorporated into their operations.” Doing so is no longer just a “nice to have” or something that is only a perception issue. Supporting sustainability is directly tied to economic outcomes.

Customers are more concerned than ever about how much the companies they do business with care about the environment and the future of the planet, meaning organizations that don’t demonstrate such care risk losing revenue. Industry standards for reducing carbon emissions are getting stricter all the time, leading to substantial penalties for companies that don’t comply. Additionally, use of sustainable technology can help reduce costs through reduced energy consumption, decreased waste, and increased efficiency.

Companies can approach becoming more sustainable around technology in numerous ways. In the following sections, we offer suggestions for using current technology more sustainably, finding new technologies to boost sustainability, developing sustainable technology, considering the entire product lifecycle, shifting to more sustainable operations, and monitoring sustainability. We also discuss how to recognize technology’s hidden carbon costs.

Use Existing Technologies More Sustainably

“Making technology more sustainable” is a huge undertaking that should be approached incrementally. One way to improve technology sustainability is to use your existing technology in more sustainable ways. The following suggestions provide a good starting point for this strategy:

Reduce the carbon footprint of your IT infrastructure. You can make your existing servers, storage, and networking equipment more sustainable by using virtualization technology. This process allows two or more virtual machines to run on one physical machine, reducing the need for more servers, which use more electricity and eventually become more waste.
Use cloud computing services. Cloud computing services provide a wide variety of options for performing tasks, including ideation, development, and service provision. The companies that offer these services provide economies of scale, so they are less carbon-intensive. By moving some or all of your operations to the cloud, you can take advantage of this.
Embrace renewable energy sources. You can reduce your need for fossil-fuel-based electricity by adopting renewable sources such as solar or wind power. You can either create electricity from these resources yourself, such as by installing solar panels, or you can seek out electricity providers whose energy sources are renewable. Check with your power utility to learn more.
Promote telecommuting. Encourage employees to work from home or another location that doesn’t require fossil-fuel-based transportation. For example, they might ride their bikes to coffee shops or coworking spaces. In addition to cutting down on transportation emissions, this strategy enables you to cut down on the amount of electricity you use in your office space.
Adopt sustainable supply chain practices. You can further reduce your environmental impact by sourcing materials and products from environmentally conscious suppliers. For example, such suppliers might offer materials with minimal or no packaging or deploy eco-friendly transportation practices such as the use of electric vehicles (EVs) or low-carbon fuels.

Find Technologies to Boost Sustainability

Once you have made modifications to use your existing technology more sustainably, focus on finding new ones that can help reduce your carbon footprint even more. The following technologies are a good place to start:

Internet of Things (IoT). You can use IoT devices to monitor your energy consumption and find ways to optimize it. As a bonus, these devices can also help you reduce waste and increase efficiency in your operations. For example, you can use sensors to monitor the amount of electricity consumed by specific equipment and adjust your usage to avoid energy waste.
Artificial intelligence (AI). AI can be used in conjunction with IoT devices and other technologies within your operations to find ways to optimize processes and reduce energy usage and waste. For example, AI algorithms can be deployed to determine the amount of energy being consumed within your building and find strategies for reducing it, such as allowing people in the building during fewer hours of each day.
Blockchain technology. By using a blockchain ledger, you can track your environmental impact and ensure that suppliers are meeting your sustainability standards. These systems can also serve as a platform for carbon offsetting and trading, giving you the opportunity to invest in renewable energy or carbon sequestration projects.
EVs. If your company relies on transportation to deliver products or services, switching to an all-electric fleet or using low-carbon fuels can help to reduce carbon emissions and your overall carbon footprint. If you have been concerned about cost and infrastructure, now might be a great time to revisit this idea since each of these factors is becoming less of a barrier.
Circular economy technologies. The circular economy refers to the process of eliminating waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials, products, and resources. The goal is to keep these items in the economy for as long as possible. You can participate in the circular economy by repairing broken parts instead of discarding them, recycling materials, and using recycled materials in your manufacturing processes.

Focus on Sustainable Technology Development

In addition to using technologies sustainably, you can help other companies do the same. For example, according to the Forbes article, “IBM has developed a system to help farmers use less water and fertilizer while maintaining crop yields…. Nestle Waters North America has developed a paper-based water bottle that is fully recyclable and uses significantly less energy to produce than traditional plastic bottles. Meanwhile, Amazon has pledged to be ‘net zero carbon’ by 2040 and 100% renewable by 2030.”

Here are a few ways your company can focus on developing sustainable technology:

Perform a sustainability assessment. To begin focusing on sustainable technology development, perform an assessment to determine where you are now. You can start by assessing each product to identify areas where improvements can be made. Improving your current products is the fastest path toward increasing technology sustainability within your company overall.
Prioritize your research. In your company’s research and development, you can make sustainability a high priority. It may include looking for ways to improve the sustainability of your current products, finding innovative directions for new products, or venturing into entirely different product lines that are inherently more sustainable.
Collaborate. You may find it useful to collaborate with other companies, educational institutions, or research centers to develop sustainable technologies. Such cooperation can lead to idea sharing and synergies that create products or services that may not be possible on your own. These collaborations can also bring together additional perspectives and resources that may not have been previously available.
Hold innovation contests. You can hold contests to engage employees, stakeholders, and even the public in developing sustainable technologies. These contests not only produce great ideas, but they also drive employee and customer engagement, help you meet potential employees, and serve as a starting point for marketing and promotional efforts. You can even partner with entities such as schools to fulfill community assistance goals.
Launch or join a corporate incubator. You can launch or participate in a technology incubator to support the development of sustainable technology. You can provide resources to other companies to foster innovation in this area or take advantage of those provided by another entity to gain resources you might not be able to get on your own. Dropbox, Airbnb, Instacart, Stripe, Twitch, Coinbase, and Reddit all got their start with a technology incubator.

Consider the Entire Product Lifecycle

Recognizing the hidden carbon costs within technology can help you to improve the sustainability of your offerings. To do it, you need to consider the entire product lifecycle, including design, production, distribution, and disposal, of each technology you develop.

Keep sustainability in mind from the beginning. Every product starts with design. To make products more sustainable, begin during this phase to consider what must happen to do so. For example, what materials are more environmentally friendly than others, and how will using them impact the way the product is designed? What kind of packaging will you use, and how will it affect how your product is distributed? Considering these questions at the beginning will make sustainable product development smoother.
Find sustainable materials. When it comes time to determine what materials you will use to build your products, choose those that are renewable, biodegradable, or otherwise sustainable. Additionally, seek out ways to use recycled or upcycled materials, which is another way to reduce waste and minimize your carbon footprint.
Reduce waste in the production process. There are many ways to reduce waste during the production process. For example, automating certain procedures can cut down on the amount of materials and electricity you use. Implementing lean manufacturing principles enables you to be more efficient. Planning inventory carefully helps reduce the number of trips your suppliers need to make, which cuts down on carbon emissions.
Use sustainable packaging. As with materials, you can look for packaging that is renewable, biodegradable, or otherwise sustainable. You can also reduce the amount of packaging used and determine ways to make the packaging reusable or recyclable. You can even provide information to customers about how to recycle or sustainably dispose of packaging.
Consider the product lifespan. In addition to finding sustainable materials for building and packaging, consider which materials will be longest lasting. Reducing the amount of waste that your products produce is a good way to be environmentally friendly and reduce waste. When the time comes to retire a product, let customers know the most effective and environmentally friendly ways to do so, such as implementing your own recycling program.

Shift to More Sustainable Operations

In addition to making products and packaging more sustainable, you can look for ways to improve your operations. Remember, even small steps can make a big difference. Here are some ways to start:

Implement energy efficiency measures. Electricity utilities are very invested in helping you become more energy efficient. Work with them to find ways to minimize your energy usage and reduce your carbon footprint. You might install LED lighting, implement smart building automation to help adjust heating and cooling depending on occupancy levels, or invest in energy-efficient equipment.
Reduce water usage. Just as utilities can help you reduce your energy usage, water utilities can help you reduce your water consumption. It might involve using water-efficient technologies such as low-flow fixtures, recycling water, or implementing water conservation practices. In some locations, power and water utilities are one in the same and can help you find measures to conserve both of these resources.
Reduce waste. The less waste you produce, the fewer resources are needed to process it. You can implement measures like waste audits, composting, and recycling. These measures promote a circular economy, which we discuss in other sections. Additionally, you can find ways to help employees reduce waste in the manufacturing and production processes, including the use of lean manufacturing principles and closed-loop systems.
Use sustainable business models. Some modes of operation are inherently more sustainable than others. For example, you might adopt a circular economy model, which ensures that all resources used stay in the economy for as long as possible. Another model that contributes to sustainability is Anything-as-a-Service (XaaS), such as subscription services. At the highest levels, you can also prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies to help make important business decisions.
Promote a culture of sustainability. Create a culture in which sustainability is a goal that everyone works toward together. Develop programs that engage employees and stakeholders in sustainable practices and initiatives. For example, you might provide sustainability training, hold contests so groups can compete on which ones support programs most effectively, encourage sustainability through internal communications, and promote sustainability efforts to customers and the public.

Monitor Sustainability

To ensure you are meeting your sustainability goals, monitor the level of sustainability of both the technologies you use and those you develop. Follow the suggestions below by reporting your efforts. When you know you will be sharing this information with customers, stakeholders, and the public, you become more accountable for ensuring sustainable practices.

Many companies include this information in an annual report, but there are other ways to do it. For example, you can create a page on your website that lists your accomplishments each year, shows your progress over time, and lists your goals for the future. The Global Reporting Initiative guidelines provide a framework for reporting.

Conduct energy audits. Here is another area in which your electric utility can help. They can perform energy audits to monitor the energy consumption of the technologies you use. This practice can help identify areas where energy efficiency improvements can be made.
Track your carbon footprint. You can determine the carbon footprint of the technology you use to establish the environmental impact of your operations. As with energy audits, this practice can help identify areas where improvements can be made.
Monitor resource consumption. Using advanced inventory control tools, find ways to ensure you are wasting as little as possible. You can also monitor other resources, like water, to find areas to be more efficient.
Assess supply chain sustainability. On a regular basis, perform an assessment to determine how sustainable your supply chain is. Look into the products and practices of each company you do business with, as well as their subcontractors.
Implement sustainability standards. Implement sustainability standards, such as ISO 14001 or LEED certification, to monitor the sustainability of the technologies you use. These standards offer a foundation for not only measuring but also improving sustainability within your operations.

Beware of Hidden Carbon Costs

The Forbes article states, “Many new technologies have hidden costs that are often left out of sustainability calculations. For example, AI is a technology that has created immense value for businesses…. However, AI systems need to process an immense amount of data, requiring a company to increase its energy use.”

Additionally, technologies like smartphones rely on metals and other materials that are often extracted from the earth through the use of practices that are potentially damaging to the environment. They include deforestation, land degradation, and water pollution, all of which can negatively impact local ecosystems and communities.

The same is true even for technologies that are meant to increase sustainability. For instance, solar panels require water and energy to operate, and EVs often charge with electricity developed from fossil fuels.

While this aspect of sustainability makes the situation more complex, don’t let it deter you from increasing the sustainability of the technologies you use and develop. It’s simply one more element to consider.