Sustainability is inescapable, so use it to your advantage - Article - Global Services

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Sustainability is inescapable, so use it to your advantage

Sustainability. Carbon Impact. Cap and trade. Words that few of us considered two years ago now top the headlines regularly. Whether or not you believe in mankind’s impact on the planet’s weather, you’re going to be affected by the general rush to counteract it. And if you’re in technology, you’ll be on the front lines, since the IT industry generates almost as much carbon as the regularly-attacked airlines. What’s a CIO to do?

Start by keeping up with current events, and look at multiple sources for your news. BT’s Chris Tuppen attended the climate change conference in Copenhagen. While some of the bad press was justified, he explains that things of note did happen there, and conversations started that will influence the future of technology.

Next, understand legislation. Every country is going about this differently, which means that a CIO operating over borders is going to have to understand, and plan for, a variety of local schemes. It’s a hassle, but given the impact that IT has on a multi-national enterprise’s carbon impact, one you won’t be able to escape. BT’s current head of the sustainability practice, Ted Shann, explains the current state of play.

Don’t think it’s all about being kind to the planet, however. While that’s the ultimate goal for legislation, you have more pressing needs: saving money, boosting efficiencies, supporting innovation. You can accomplish all those things while implementing more sustainable practices. Dinah McLeod, BT’s former head of the sustainability practice, explains how. For a real life example, we talk to Gary Hird of the John Lewis Partnership, whose recent data centre transformation ticked all the boxes.

Finally, share the pain ... and gain ... with your technology partners. Sustainability elements are showing up in most requests for proposals. Peter Ward, a deal architect at BT, handles scores of them and sees that sustainability elements within can be a box ticking exercise, or can really add to the strategic foundations of the project. He suggests ways to make sure your RFPs do the latter.

Top Tips for CIOs: Chris Tuppen

Ellen Ferrara talks with Chris Tuppen