FEATURE: SUSTAINABILITY

Steve McCorry, CIO of Creative ITC, argues that the time has come for Chief Information Officers to take decisive leadership in driving sustainable practices across IT operations, highlighting the critical role they play in achieving environmental goals. worldwide. That’ s equivalent to half the emissions of both the aviation and shipping sectors combined. Technology strategies must transform to achieve sustainability targets, and CIOs can take the lead in this revolution.

Why sustainability should be a strategic priority

Steve McCorry, CIO of Creative ITC

According to Gartner, 80 % of CIOs will have sustainability-linked performance targets for their IT operations by 2027. That’ s because‘ being sustainable’ is not just a nice-to-have. There are many reasons why it must be a core focus.

However, we often see that many still underestimate the operational transformation needed to curb the negative impact of technology, despite enterprise IT being responsible for roughly 1 % of carbon output

For starters, at a macro level, climate change is at the forefront of the global political agenda. Though we are currently seeing some local administrations deprioritise climate action, there will always be pressure from global entities such as the United Nations’ COP striving for meaningful change.

Additionally, comprehensive regulation already exists that requires compliance. A recent example in the EU is the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive( CSRD). The legislation expands the reporting requirements for large and listed companies to include Scope 3 – indirect emissions from suppliers. Technology is a leading contributor to Scope 3 emissions, alongside Scope 2 and so businesses

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