Today, sustainability is no longer just a side issue for businesses; it has become a key part of a modern, resilient corporate strategy. For CIOs and other IT leaders, this change offers a major opportunity. The IT systems that power today’s organizations are large consumers of energy. By promoting sustainable infrastructure, IT leaders can not only lower their company’s carbon footprint but also reduce costs, boost efficiency, and gain a competitive edge.
This post will explore seven strategies to help you enhance the sustainability of your IT infrastructure. I will cover everything from modernizing your systems to managing end-of-life hardware responsibly. Adopting these practices will position your organization as an environmentally conscious leader in a world that increasingly values corporate responsibility and sustainability.
Why sustainable IT matters
The digital world runs on physical infrastructure, which has real-world environmental impacts. Data centers alone account for a significant portion of global electricity consumption, and the AI boom is why data centers were responsible for more than 4% of the U.S.’s total electricity consumption last year.
For IT leaders, focusing on sustainability is about more than just “going green.” It’s a strategic imperative that influences financial performance, brand reputation, and operational resilience. A sustainable IT framework reduces energy costs, minimizes waste, and aligns the organization with the expectations of customers, employees, and investors who prioritize environmental stewardship.
Nearly 9 in 10 IT decision-makers say sustainability and energy efficiency are important to their IT operations, according to a recent survey by Daisy Corporate Services. However, only 51% of IT decision-makers are “very confident” they can achieve their sustainability goals. So, there’s a lot of work to be done.
7 strategies for a sustainable IT infrastructure
Transforming your IT operations into a model of sustainability requires a multi-faceted approach. It involves re-evaluating everything from the hardware in your server rooms to the code your developers write. Here are seven key areas where you can make a substantial impact:
Replace legacy infrastructure
Old hardware is often an energy vampire. Older servers, storage systems, and networking equipment were not designed to meet modern energy-efficiency standards. They consume excessive power, generate more heat, and require more cooling—all of which drive up your energy bills and carbon emissions.
In fact, legacy IT infrastructure accounts for more than a third of enterprise power consumption, according to the Daisy Corporate Services survey.
Replacing outdated systems with modern, energy-efficient options can provide immediate benefits. New hardware is built to offer more processing power while using less energy. A strategic hardware update not only enhances performance but also lays the foundation for a more sustainable IT footprint.
Move to the cloud and embrace SaaS
Migrating workloads from on-premises data centers to the cloud is one of the most effective strategies for achieving sustainability. Major cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, operate hyperscale data centers that are significantly more efficient than a typical enterprise facility. They benefit from economies of scale, advanced cooling systems, and high server utilization.
Likewise, adopting software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions transfers the infrastructure responsibility to providers who focus on running applications efficiently. Instead of hosting, managing, and powering your own software setup, you can utilize a shared, optimized environment that greatly reduces your direct energy consumption.
Ensure cloud operations are energy efficient
Simply moving to the cloud isn’t enough. You must also manage your cloud resources responsibly. “Cloud waste” is a common problem for enterprises, as organizations often pay for resources they don’t use. Enterprises are expected to waste up to $44.5 billion in cloud spending, according to research from Harness. Implementing a robust cloud FinOps culture helps you monitor and optimize your cloud spend, which is directly correlated with energy consumption.
This involves practices such as utilizing tools that provide visibility into your cloud usage, automating the process of shutting down non-production instances during off-hours, right-sizing virtual machines to match workload demands, and leveraging serverless architectures that consume resources only when code is executed.
Write sustainable software
The way your developers write software has a direct impact on the hardware resources required to run it. Inefficient code can lead to higher CPU usage, increased memory consumption, and greater energy draw. The principles of green software engineering focus on building applications that are energy-efficient by design.
Encourage your development teams to write clean, optimized code. This includes choosing efficient algorithms, minimizing data movement, and designing applications that can scale down as easily as they scale up.
By making energy a key performance indicator in the software development lifecycle, you can build applications that are not only powerful but also lean.
There isn’t a single or consistent framework for measuring baseline energy consumption and emissions across the software stack. However, the Green Software Foundation is creating standards such as the Software Carbon Intensity Specification and promoting sustainable software-friendly tools and courses.
Utilize AI to optimize energy consumption
Artificial intelligence offers powerful tools for enhancing IT sustainability. AI-powered monitoring platforms can analyze energy consumption patterns across your entire infrastructure in real-time. They can identify inefficiencies that would be nearly impossible to spot manually and recommend specific actions for optimization.
AI can also be used for predictive analytics. By analyzing historical data and external factors, such as weather patterns, AI models can forecast future energy needs for data center cooling and power. This enables proactive adjustments that ensure resources are utilized efficiently, preventing waste before it occurs.
However, only 6 in 10 organizations used AI to monitor energy use at the end of 2023, according to a survey by Microsoft and Kyndryl. And only 34% use current data to predict their future energy usage.
Move toward carbon-free data centers
For workloads that remain on-premises or in colocation facilities, the energy source is critical. A growing number of data centers are committing to powering their operations with 100% renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and hydropower.
When choosing a colocation partner, ensure that Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and the provider’s commitment to renewable energy are key factors in your decision. A lower PUE signifies a more energy-efficient data center. Working with facilities powered by carbon-free energy sources is a direct way to reduce your IT’s carbon footprint.
Recycle old equipment responsibly
Eventually, hardware reaches the end of its life. How you dispose of older laptops, monitors, servers, and other equipment is the final piece of the sustainability puzzle. Electronic waste is a growing environmental concern because it contains hazardous materials that can harm the environment if not properly handled.
Establish a robust IT Asset Disposition policy. Partner with certified e-waste recycling companies that follow responsible and secure disposal practices. These partners can ensure that valuable materials are recovered and that hazardous components are disposed of safely and responsibly. Also, many of them offer certified data destruction services to protect your sensitive information.
Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage
Embracing sustainable IT isn’t just an operational choice, but a strategic move that offers a clear competitive advantage. It enhances your brand by showcasing a commitment to corporate responsibility, which is becoming more vital to customers and top talent, and it leads to financial savings through lower energy and operational expenses. Additionally, it helps build a more resilient and efficient technology foundation, preparing your organization for the future.
By intentionally greening your IT infrastructure, you not only help create a healthier planet but also strengthen your business, making it more competitive and respected.
Doesn’t that sound like something you want to be part of?
