Sustainability a top focus for tech investment

Logicalis reveals sustainability is a key priority for tech leaders in 2024. According to its tenth annual CIO Report, which surveyed over 1,000 CIOs globally, almost all (92%) CIOs are investing in sustainability initiatives or technologies this year.

In the face of global economic uncertainty, the commitment to the green agenda among CIOs stands resolute with CIOs at the heart of their organisation's sustainability strategy. 96% of tech leaders said they are already involved in their company’s overall sustainability planning and target setting and 93% said they believe IT is core to successfully delivering on their organisation's environmental objectives. An overwhelming 90% also said they assess the sustainability credentials of new suppliers before working with them.

Sustainability continues to be recognised as a necessary investment by businesses as it not only benefits the environment but also reduces energy consumption and operational costs. However, there are still stumbling blocks to overcome. Most (93%) see challenges in attaining their environmental goals, with 43% stating that collecting data distributed across the organisation is a challenge. A similar number are not completely confident that their organisation knows how its digital estate is performing against environmental goals.

Reflecting on the findings at Logicalis’s Global CIO summit in London, Bob Bailkoski, Logicalis CEO said: “Investing in sustainability is not only the right thing to do, it's a commercial imperative for business. We know that a reduction in carbon and energy consumption also means lower costs, and with regulations on carbon reporting becoming more stringent, prioritising sustainability now will serve CIOs well later.

“We’re working very closely with our partners to ensure there is carbon accountability on our part in the outcomes we deliver through technology and, through visibility tools like our Digital Fabric Platform, we’re empowering customers themselves to better manage the carbon performance of their IT estate.”

Toby Alcock, Logicalis Chief Technology Officer, said: “CIOs globally continue to face pressure when it comes to prioritising innovation, balancing costs and decreasing carbon output but these priorities don’t have to compete. With access to good data, CIOs should be able to see where to find short and long-term gains, both environmentally and financially. What’s more, they are well-positioned to attract new customers who are looking to allocate their business to more sustainable suppliers.

“The fact that IT is now involved in sustainability at a strategic level should ensure that any initiatives have the right infrastructure and support to succeed.”