Creating an IT and Digital Sustainability Business Case

How equipped are businesses to begin their IT and digital sustainability journey?

Starting can be challenging due to a lack of knowledge of the issue or talking too much without doing enough.

However, as we get a deeper understanding of how sustainability can improve businesses and people’s lives while supporting their commercial goals, we understand that this is a problem that needs to be solved right away, not later.

Additionally, a lot of businesses believe that sustainability simply refers to cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Social, environmental, and economic sustainability are the three pillars of sustainability. E-waste, socially responsible, digital poverty, fair salaries, and digital carbon footprint are just a few of the many topics related to each pillar that still surprise many company leaders.

ITIL® 4: A professional guide to starting with sustainability for digital enterprises is called Sustainability in Digital and IT.

Want to know more about ITIL 4? Visit our course now.

The steps of the ITIL constant improvement methodology are followed in the book. This is because sustainability initiatives should not be one-off projects but rather a journey. The steps of the model are:

• What is the vision?
• Where we are now?
• Where do we want to be?
• How do we get there?
• Take action
• Did we get there?
• How do we keep the momentum going?

Let’s delve into the first step: “What is the vision?

IT and Digital Sustainability

The first stage is to identify the organization’s sustainability vision, making sure it supports the generally known concepts of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations while also being in line with the broader company goal.

You should be familiar with the main sustainability concerns, particularly those that are closely related to digital technologies, to create the sustainability vision:

Digital carbon footprint

Although the carbon footprint of digital business is difficult to measure, it is clear that it is substantial. Digital technology accounts for 3.6% of total electricity consumption and 1.4% of world greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the number of consumer electronics increases daily, and cloud storage of data results in pollution on par with flying.

IT and Digital Sustainability: Digital Poverty

Because of age, lack of access to IT resources and networks (like when families shared devices during COVID-19), knowledge, and financial constraints, digital inequality and exclusion appear to be increasing as digital becomes more widespread in our lives. When designing digital products and offering services, we must take these factors into account.

A UNICEF and ITU study calculates that 1.3 billion children between the ages of three and 17 do not have access to the internet at home. Digital businesses could make this problem worse or contribute to its solution.

E-waste

Through the use of laptops, office supplies, phones, and televisions, we produce around 44.7 million tonnes of electronic waste annually. However, there are other issues at hand as well, such as how to prevent mining the Earth for the precious metals required for the manufacture of gadgets.

Other concerns and ideas include general greenhouse gas emissions, responsible sourcing, and sustainable consumption and manufacturing.

Conducting a materiality assessment

Organizations are unable to address all aspects of digital sustainability at once. Instead, they ought to order their tasks by their strengths and corporate strategy. And to do this, a materiality analysis can be helpful.

One of the key tools in the ITIL 4: Sustainability in Digital and IT module, the materiality assessment, assist the business in “defining, agreeing, and executing a sustainability plan based on the organization’s sustainability vision and values.”

The process of detecting and evaluating possible ESG (environmental, social, and governance) problems that could have an impact on the organization and stakeholders is included. Defining the sustainability vision and creating the sustainability plan, it’s an important stage.

A materiality evaluation will enable your organization to identify opportunities, reduce business risks, increase stakeholder participation, and make sure sustainability is incorporated into your business strategy. The organization’s place and influence within the organizational ecosystem should also be taken into account.

A materiality assessment report may include material concerns and risks found throughout the organization’s supply chain, as well as identified and adopted KPIs, in addition to the output of a matrix summarizing the most important themes.

What’s the return?

It is simple for many businesses mired in daily operations to put off implementing long-term measures, especially when it comes to issues as important as rescuing the planet and civilization.

When governments and financial institutions force businesses to act, which has risen, it becomes less avoidable.

What is the incentive for organizations to respond, though, when the drive to be more sustainable is founded on recommendations?

Investing in sustainability makes good business sense today, aside from considering the type of planet we want our children to inherit. Benefits include enhanced brand reputation, cost optimization, and innovative solutions that can open up new markets.

Being a sustainable business today increases your chances of attracting and keeping top talent, as well as customers who prefer to spend their money with suppliers who care about sustainable products and services. This is in addition to lowering an organization’s exposure to unsustainable practices and supply chains.

Explore the creation of IT and Digital Sustainability Business Case. Visit us here.

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com