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?

IT hardware management

With the entire ICT sector emitting around 3-4% (UN Environment Programme n.d.) of global greenhouse gases, ICT equipment is a major contributing factor. Additionally, the sector is a major contributor to surging e-waste, including the mining of finite earth metals but also social implications such as poor working conditions in factories and human rights violations. Just like our business models need to transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, IT needs to do the same. IT is constantly under cost pressure to deliver more with less, and transitioning to circular IT hardware management helps maximize the value of IT investments, reduce the use of natural resources, and minimize e-waste.

Throughout the entire life cycle of IT assets, sustainable practices can be applied to design durable and modular products, remove hazardous substances from the manufacturing process and the product itself, prolong the product life cycle, buy energy-efficient products...