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?

Courageous sustainable leadership

To embark on this journey, you must exuberate courageous sustainable leadership. You will also need senior executive support but also buy-in from employees across the business. From my experience, not everyone will be overjoyed, be in your corner, and back you up 100%. You will need a bit of stubbornness and grit, and it is essential to prove the value of being sustainable to the business to overcome some of these hurdles along the way. From my own experience, I know the importance of continuing to push and not getting discouraged by doubters and naysayers. Change is hard, and as humans, we are not wired for constant change and often view it as a threat. When we see change as a threat, it might generate anxiety because we feel our environment’s demands are too great and are being pushed past our breaking point or threshold for coping.

I have found that when we mention that we need to invest in sustainability, it is associated with cost or...