Intelligent SME.tech Issue 19 | Page 17

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It ' s becoming far easier to spot cases of greenwashing as we become more educated about making a real difference to sustainability and our impact on global climate emissions . But quantifying the carbon impact of each Azure subscription gives a business tangible data for reporting existing IT-based emissions . It allows a company to see estimated carbon savings from running those workloads in Azure versus onpremises data centres . It ' s also the first step in establishing a foundation to drive further decarbonisation efforts .

Other IT areas that a business can change

Digitalisation will undoubtedly significantly impact decarbonisation . But it ' s important to remember that the tools we use to access the digital world all use valuable resources . What ' s more , these tools become obsolete relatively quickly as technology improves , which amounts to a massive amount of e-waste .

As well as energy efficiency , renewable energy , circular economies , asset disposal and refurbishment of technology should all be areas of focus .

From paperless offices with low energy lightbulbs and automatic power , down to using specialist companies , like N2S , to recycling old equipment responsibly , every aspect of a business should be assessed to see how it can be changed to help reduce its carbon footprint .

Stand behind your sustainability goals

The task of reducing global carbon emissions may sound challenging , but rather than be disheartened , it ' s vital to recognise that every business has a role to play while still being able to flourish .

There is so much help available to enable you to set your ESG strategy and stand confidently behind it – from government websites to articles on industry best practices . Investing in sustainability is good for business , good for customers and good for the planet . �

Amyn Jaffer , Director , Ultima Labs