Responsibilities of a CIO in realising your company’s sustainability strategies

Joining the journey towards becoming climate positive is not just a commendable goal, it's an essential commitment to doing good business and contributing to a sustainable future.  

Today’s businesses are so dependent on digital connectivity and automation, that technology and sustainability in your operations are inextricably linked. From hardware to software, behaviours to processes, every aspect of your technology ecosystem has the potential to impact emissions and shape a more responsible business model. 

If you’re a business with sustainability at the core of your agenda, delivering on it will be impossible without aligning sustainability goals with technology decisions. 

And yet, according to Accenture’s recent sustainable technology survey, only 7% of companies have fully integrated their technology strategies with their sustainability strategies. 

Redefining CIO leadership 

While a CIO’s remit has largely been driven by achieving efficiency through digital transformation, more IT leaders need to understand their pivotal responsibility in mitigating the impact of one of the world’s most significant challenges through more climate-friendly decisions. With technology said to be responsible for producing around 4% of the world’s Co2 emissions, good governance is critical to effecting change.   

So, what’s standing in their way? 

1. A legacy focus on operations and efficiency 
   Sustainability initiatives, while not conflicting with efficiency goals, can appear tangential to the core operational focus, meaning some IT leaders continue to prioritise traditional operational metrics over sustainability ones. 

2. Organisational culture and business priorities 
   The pace of embracing sustainability often hinges on overarching organisational culture and priorities. If sustainability isn't deeply embedded in a company's ethos or isn't a top leadership priority, it’s harder for individual leaders to proactively drive sustainability initiatives. 

3. Perceived limits of awareness or readiness 
   Navigating the complexities of renewable energy integration, circular IT practices, and carbon footprint reduction may require a significant investment in learning and overhauling legacy systems. 

Leading through a lens of ESG 

There is opportunity for CIOs and technology leaders to drive initiatives and seek out opportunities for impact reduction by making ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) the focus of technology, rather than an afterthought. Here’s what that could look like: 

• Sustainability-centred decision-making 
  Adopt green tech and embrace energy-efficient hardware and data centre solutions that minimise energy consumption and carbon footprint. Advocate for partnerships with renewable energy providers (such as solar or wind) and explore energy offset programs. Leverage cloud solutions to consolidate resources, reduce hardware demands, and allow for flexible scaling using workflow automation to streamline processes and reduce human-intensive tasks.  

• Educating and empowering change 
  Stay informed about evolving sustainable technology trends, such as circular IT, carbon capture, and efficient hardware and software solutions. Foster a learning culture that encourages the exploration of new technologies that align with sustainability objectives. Ensure your people have access to the education and support resources they need to understand best practices around impact reduction. 

• Collaborative partnerships 
  Prioritise procurement of eco-friendly hardware, software, and services, by evaluating vendors based on their commitment to sustainability and responsible manufacturing practices. Advocate for transparency in supply chains. This includes minimising transportation emissions and adhering to responsible sourcing standards. Bring in strategy partners and IT support teams who align with your vision for a better world through the strategic use of technology (like us!). 

As technology continues to evolve, CIOs hold the reins to technology that can drive positive change and shape a more sustainable future for your organisation. If you’re looking for a partner who can help you consider this strategy, and implement climate-friendly change, reach out and let’s chat about your goals.