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?

ESG considerations for IT

Earlier, we looked at six drivers for a sustainable corporate agenda; let us look at some ESG considerations for IT. The five key areas – financial value, non-financial value, risks (physical and transition risks), employee engagement, and readiness – are illustrated in Figure 2.9:

Figure 2.9 – ESG considerations for IT

When assessing these five areas and assessing your own sustainable IT plan, there are several key questions that you should consider.

Financial value

Ensuring long-term value creation is critical to ensuring a corporation’s financial value. There are financial value opportunities in working with the top line, your revenue, and the bottom line from a cost perspective. As an example, Unilever, the British multinational consumer goods company, has proven through their Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) that they can be better socially and environmentally but at the same time perform...