Book Image

Sustainable IT Playbook for Technology Leaders

By : Niklas Sundberg
Book Image

Sustainable IT Playbook for Technology Leaders

By: Niklas Sundberg

Overview of this book

We are at a critical point in human history. Humanity is under threat, but all is not lost. We can take action! But how? Sustainable IT Playbook for Technology Leaders will show you how. It will walk you through the construction and implementation of a sustainable IT strategy and enable you to do your bit for the future of mankind. The book is split into three parts. Part I details the “why” and the clear and present danger that humanity faces today: the climate crisis. How did we get here, what are the immediate threats, what are the planetary boundaries that we need to peel back to safe levels, and what impact does IT have on society at large? Part II will focus on the "what.” It examines the nitty-gritty details of what we can do to unlock significant returns on sustainable investments toward a more sustainable future. Part III, the final part of the book, focuses on the “how.” How do you turn your ideas into action? What do you need to do to establish your baseline and your direction of travel towards your objective? This part provides tangible case studies and explains how you can start your journey today to begin delivering global and impactful objectives. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to plan, implement, and communicate a sustainable IT strategy and set yourself apart as a progressive technology leader.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Why Is Sustainable IT Important?
4
Part 2: What Are Sustainable IT Practices?
12
Part 3: How Do You Accelerate Sustainable IT?

Corporate sustainability and sustainable IT

As we saw in Chapter 1, Our Most Significant Challenge Ahead, company longevity on the S&P 500 is rapidly declining. Companies that cannot adapt to rapid changes in macrotrends such as electrification, and sustainability will likely be relegated to the graveyard of corporate failures. Sustainability has become a recurring boardroom topic and 24% of global CEOs are “extremely concerned” about environmental damage and climate change (PWC 2020).

As the demand for companies has shifted toward fulfilling the needs of a broader spectrum of stakeholders such as employees, customers, partners, ecosystems, and communities, and not only the shareholder needs, ESG has become a mainstream business issue. Due to the increasing pressures of investors, governments, and organizations in terms of emissions reporting, the requirements for companies to provide transparent reports are continually growing.

According to a recent study,...