SustainabilityIs IT the Problem or the Solution?

Joliene Garlich ● Clayton Sanford ● Melody Smith Jones

Sustainability: A Definition• What is Sustainability?

o Sustainability, in a broad sense, is the capacity to endure. For humans, it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources.

• What does it have to do with Business, IT?o IT sustainability involves incorporating energy-

efficient technologies and practices into everyday business tasks, and promoting effective recyclability and telecommuting strategies.

Why Sustainability?

• Government Initiativeso Define carbon footprint

• Customer & shareholder desire for responsible leadershipoWhat is responsible leadership?o How is it important to business?

• A possible competitive advantageo Can being green help a business make green?

It ’s not easy being green!

Is IT the Problem?

Problems in Creating Technology• Use of natural resources• Clearing of land harming wildlife and trees• Omission of Carbon Dioxide• Buildings and Energy used in production

Problems with Using IT

• Energy consummation• Pollutants used to create energy• Harmful Electrical Signals• Improper use

Problem with Disposing of Hardware• Shortening lifespan

o Demand for more powerful hardwareo Donate to others that can benefit

• Improper disposalo New laws enforcing proper disposalo Toxins harmful to wildlife

Case of Indirect Effects• Telecommuting

o Inefficiencies of decentralized locationo Larger homes, higher use of resources• More energy consumed taking care of lawn• More electricity used• More natural gas used to heat home

Is IT the Solution?

Wait a minute…IT can deliver the Triple Bottom

Line of profit, human capital, and natural

resources!

Decreasing Power Consumption

• IT can improve power management through simple measures, such as having lights or computers shut off automatically at set times, or setting room temperatures to an automated schedule, bringing significant savings.

Sustainability Spotlight: Intel

Reducing Carbon Emissions

• IT contributes only 2% to global carbon emissions • We can apply the 2% associated with computing

technology to the other 98%• Notable impact:

o transportation and logisticso building construction and maintenanceo online commerce and paperless billingo data integration

Transportation and Logistics

• Monitoring and controling corporate fleets• Real time tracking of delivery routes using GPS• Companies can save as much as 15% in fuel

expenses by limiting the speed of their trucks to 62 mph.

Sustainability Spotlight: UPS

Building Construction & Maintenance

• Largest contributing activity in carbon emissions - 47% of total carbon emissions

• Environmental issues should be taken into consideration at the earliest planning stages of a new office complex

Sustainability Spotlight: Shanghai Tower

Online Commerce & Paperless Billing

• Eliminating paper bills cuts costs and eases strain on the environment

• Reduces logging, paper processing, and the fuel consumption

• Paper mail is bad for customer service

Sustainability Spotlight: Con Edison

Data Integration

• Business intelligence has two main sustainability functions:o Provides useful, trusted, and timely information for

sustainability initiativeso Reduces waste by optimizing data

Sustainability Spotlight: SAS

Applying Sustainability Practices

Best Practices

• Key steps to IT sustainabilityo Create a teamo Define initiativeso Put initiatives into action

• Getting the CEO on boardo A crucial step to success

• Using IT as model oMove sustainability through

the business

Some Green for Thought

• Does your company have a formal strategy?• How important do you think sustainability will

be to future company success?• How does sustainability tie into corporate

governance?

Works Cited• Georgetown University: IT and Sustainability at Georgetown• Think Ecological: IT Sustainability Imperatives in Internet and eCommerce Business• Intel: Building a Long Term Strategy for IT Sustainability • Oracle: IT and Sustainability Bringing Best Practices to Business • GreenBiz: Corporate Sustainability It’s All About Survival• PriceWaterhouseCoopers

: IT and Sustainability: Is IT part of the solution or part of the problem?• Wikipedia: Sustainability • Global Footprint Network: Carbon Footprint• Information Management: Green Business Intelligence• Andrey, Jean: The Sustainability of Telework: an Econological-Footprinting Approach• TechRepublic: Common Sense about Green IT and Sustainability• Nemertes Research: Green IT and Sustainability• Accenture: Public Service Green IT Podcast Series • Economist Intelligence Unit: IT and Sustainability: Bringing Best Practices to Business