Kathy Gibson reports – What is your carbon footprint?
In a world where climate change and decarbonisation is a big issue, this is an important question for everyone to ask themselves, says Adam Simon, global MD and chief financial officer of Context.
“Most people don’t know what their personal carbon footprint is,” he tells delegates to today’s Channel Connect event in Midrand.
He points out that the average carbon footprint per person in the developed world is 16 tons per year; for people in the developing world it is 2 tons.
“In the world we live in, this is going to be the language of the future,” Simon adds. “We are all going to talk about tons of carbon.”
It’s not just our personal carbon footprints that should be measured. Simon cites the example of the ASUS B3 detachable notebook, which is the smallest carbon footprint of all notebooks in Context’s database.
Its carbon footprint is a massive 122kg of carbon, with 62% of that from manufacturing, including rare minerals and production. While 34% of its carbon footprint comes from usage, this can be lowered by using renewable energy.
At the top end of the scale, the carbon footprint of a Lenovo SE350 server is massive 5 tons of carbon – the of any product in Context’s database.
“It does get sensitive, because every manufacturer uses different ways of measuring carbon,” Simon points out. “This indicates that we have very little comparability and measurability on what’s going into products.”
Context has engaged widely with the industry on the topic and has determined that the IT industry is way behind the curve when it comes to environmental awareness. “There is still a lot of work that needs to be done.”
Regulations are coming forward, though, with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive making it necessary for any company with more than 250 employees to report by 2025. The next phase will make them report on every player in the supply chain.
Financial investors will also push change by withholding funds from fossil fuels.
“The big white elephant is the lack of data standards,” Simon points out. “Self-declaration is not enough; and people are not collaborating.
“And the worst issue is that people love to talk about it – but no-one wants to pay for it.”
The industry can start to take action, though. “The first thing is to collaborate as an industry.”
In this areas, the GTDC is putting together interventions to share information and collaborate
Carbon tracking at a product level is an important step, which is why Context is building a database of individual products’ carbon footprints.
Building a circular building model will change things and is in the power of the industry to do. In addition, repairability is becoming an issue, and this will start becoming a factor in buying decisions.
In addition, sustainability needs to be incorporated into performance targets, and pushed down through the organisations.
“Start with easily trackable data,” Simon says. “With things like energy usage, there can be no argument about what that means.”
IT for Green is a new movement, showcasing what the IT industry can do to improve the environment. This is not to be confused with Green IT.
Making a step change towards a consumption model will make a difference too. “It is not just a cloud dynamic, but a sustainable dynamic,” Simon explains.
“ESG is a financial issue, but at heart it is a human issue,” he concludes. “It is about restoring balance to our lives. The best thing we can give people is a sense of purpose.”