Digital Environmentalism: How Can We Use Technology for a Sustainable Future?

The digital age is radically transforming almost every aspect of life. And this transformation ranges from work and education to social interactions. However, the possibilities offered by technology also have significant impacts on the environment.

Digital environmentalism is the practice of using technology consciously and responsibly, recognizing these impacts and supporting environmental sustainability. This approach aims to reduce the negative impacts of technology on the environment and explores how technological innovations can support environmental protection efforts.

To meet the challenges of the digital age, digital environmentalism offers a guiding framework for how both individuals and organizations can use technology sustainably.

Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important. The 2022 "Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey" ranked environmental sustainability in the top 10 priorities among respondents for the first time in the history of the annual survey. Respondents indicated that environmental sustainability serves as a competitive differentiator for companies.

Digital Environmentalism Practices:

The digital age offers new opportunities for sustainability and environmental protection. Green IT, or Green IT, refers to the totality of information technologies that aim to reduce the harmful effects of human activities on the environment.

Green IT encompasses technologies that help companies reduce their carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. This includes focusing on minimizing the environmental impact of IT, while also adopting socio-economic principles for ecological transition.

As a platform that digitalizes and automates business processes, Workcube enables organizations to reduce energy consumption, lower their carbon footprint and therefore adopt an eco-friendly business model. 

This approach provides great advantages not only for ERP-related business processes, but also for environmentally conscious companies, as it increases energy efficiency, reduces carbon emissions and encourages the use of sustainable technology. Workcube contributes to a green future with its technology.

The concept of Green IT has evolved over time. 

Green IT 1.0 includes principles aimed at protecting the environment, such as eco-design, energy saving and waste management.

Green IT 1.5 is based on principles such as remote working and reducing employee travel time by using digital communication tools.

Green IT 2.0 promotes the use and application of environmentally friendly computing and communication technologies beyond their sector and outside the company.

The carbon footprint associated with digital activities accounts for about 4% of the world's total emissions, equivalent to about 2 gigatons of CO2. The magnitude of this amount indicates that digital technology emits a mass of carbon into the atmosphere equivalent to the weight of 200,000 Eiffel Towers on average! To insulate this amount of carbon, a third of the world's land surface would need to be covered by forests.

According to the Center for Sustainable Systems research, the situation is even more serious:

• Energy consumption of office equipment could be reduced by 23% if all equipment had a low power mode and was used accordingly.
• If all computers in the world were turned off for just one night, the energy saved could light the Empire State Building for more than 30 years!
• If all printers and desktops were turned off at the end of the night, energy consumption would be reduced by a further 9%.
• Data centers consume thousands of times more power than office spaces of equal size.

Hence, a snowball effect can result from the adoption of green IT practices, thereby positively impacting the overall cost of business operations at various levels. 

Some companies realize immediate ROI from a green IT initiative, while others realize ROI within 3-6 months. On top of that, these savings are achieved without addressing other cost and energy saving measures such as virtualization, teleconferencing, etc.!

Workcube is a platform that exemplifies the cost-cutting potential of green IT applications. This platform accelerates the digital transformation of businesses, enabling them to achieve a return on investment in a short time. By enabling and automating business processes, Workcube users can see a return on their initial investment in a very short time. This not only saves energy and costs, but also contributes to the achievement of sustainability goals.

So, What Can Be Done?

We Can Extend the Life of IT Equipment with Various Measures: Less use of devices reduces the amount of waste and the resources needed to produce new products.

We Can Help Reduce Server Emissions: Migrating to cloud service providers can reduce companies' emissions. For example, the GSA (US General Services Administration) reduced server energy consumption by nearly 90% and carbon emissions by 85% by moving to Google Apps. The cost savings from this reduction in energy use is estimated at $285,000 per year (93% reduction). Workcube's compatibility with Google Apps is an incredible advantage here!

We Can Reduce Emissions Associated with Cloud Deployment: Cloud providers are used to optimize computing capacity during times of high demand, avoiding service disruptions and reducing carbon impact.

We Can Reduce Digital Energy Consumption: Running office equipment in low power mode, turning off all desktop computers and printers at night can reduce energy consumption.

In light of this information, digital environmentalism guides individuals and organizations in using technological innovations and applications to support environmental sustainability. The conscious use of technology for a sustainable future plays a critical role in reducing our environmental footprint.

Examples of Sustainable Technology:

Sustainable technology provides innovative solutions that support environmental sustainability. These technologies range from renewable energy sources to smart cities and sustainable living solutions. In this section, we will look at a few examples that illustrate how digital environmentalism is promoting environmental sustainability in concrete steps.

Renewable Energy Technologies:

Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, produce far fewer carbon emissions than fossil fuels. Solar panels and wind turbines emit almost no greenhouse gases during electricity generation. Moreover, these technologies can be integrated with smart grid systems developed to store and distribute energy from renewable sources.

Smart Cities and Sustainable Living Solutions:

Smart cities use technology to manage energy, transportation and services more efficiently. IoT (Internet of Things) devices, data analytics and artificial intelligence are used to optimize traffic flow, reduce energy consumption and improve waste management. These technologies allow cities to reduce their carbon footprint and offer their residents a more sustainable living environment.

Data Centers and Cloud Computing:

Data centers and cloud computing services are making significant progress on energy consumption and carbon footprints. Energy-efficient data centers and cloud providers consume less energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional data centers. For example, providers like Google are dedicating resources to optimize energy use and invest in renewable energy sources. Therefore, the cloud-based and 100% web-based Workcube is a must-have not only for business processes but also for environmentally conscious companies!

Energy Saving and Effective Management:

Energy saving is a critical part of digital environmentalism. Energy-saving modes for office equipment and home appliances reduce energy consumption, while turning off or putting devices on standby when not in use prevents energy waste.

The development and implementation of sustainable technologies is a cornerstone of digital environmentalism. These technologies allow individuals and organizations to reduce their environmental footprint, use resources more effectively and contribute to a greener future.

Conclusion

Digital environmentalism explores ways in which technology can contribute to environmental sustainability and encourages individuals and organizations to adopt responsible use of technology. 

Improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and managing waste offer effective strategies to address the environmental challenges of the digital age. Examples of sustainable technology are a demonstration of the tools and methods available to achieve these goals. 

By using technology consciously, we can take important steps towards creating a more sustainable world!

Erman Bozgeyik - Global Partner Account Manager