Local IT organisations need to start strengthening their role in building sustainable business practices in order to reduce carbon footprint.
So said keynote speaker Tony Frost, CEO of Sirocco Strategic Management, during the Dimension Data Accelerate executive forum held in partnership with ITWeb last week.
Frost previously held the roles of CEO at WWF SA, and is now a member of the South African National Biodiversity Institute. “Sustainability and leadership are the same and both depend on collaboration,” he stressed.
He provided guidelines around what organisations can do to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint.
“Going green” can only be achieved by driving leadership from the highest levels of the business to end-users, he added. However, an IT sustainability strategy needs buy-in from everyone in the organisation.
Frost explained that business leaders should educate employees about the importance of saving electricity by switching off their PCs when not in use, recycling consumables and using renewable energy sources.
According to Frost, the planet’s natural resources are being used at a faster rate than they can be replenished.
“In SA, in terms of carbon emissions, only the US and the developed economies are worse off than us. About 98% of our power is generated from coal.
“Around 50% of SA emissions stem from power generation, and 20% from transport. We have significant challenges in this country. Businesses need to start thinking of ways where they can cut back on electricity.”
This is particularly true with Eskom’s consecutive 25% electricity price hikes, he added.
Frost stressed that all businesses should create a sustainability strategy in order to monitor the amount of energy they consume and what they can recycle.
He added that no longer can business leaders turn their backs on sustainability, noting that technology is critical to solve problems such as high energy and water demands.
Frost also believes leaders need to be able to spot opportunities amid resource challenges and make big plans.
“Business leaders should be conserving water and lowering energy consumption in everyway possible within an organisation. They should be encouraging employees to use mass transportation to reduce their carbon footprint.”
He added: “If you want to be master in your territory, be sure to share information intimately within an organisation. It’s an important part of building a sustainable organisation.”
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