At Systango, Vinita helps companies solve their complex technology problems with an incredibly talented team.
As an ardent tech advisor, “sustainable tech innovation” is something that I strongly believe in. And when it comes down to building software, establishing a net-zero company is a utopian goal for me.
Considering the real impact of climate change, it is difficult, if not impossible, for a firm to achieve net zero in one go. Therefore, reflecting on how you navigate the path to achieve net zero is crucial. One of the major driving forces behind achieving net zero is “climate tech.” This term encompasses a groundbreaking array of technologies and services poised to revolutionize the global economy by expediting decarbonization. Climate-tech companies lead the way in creating cutting-edge solutions to combat climate change. Their focus is on extracting carbon from the atmosphere, reducing emissions and strengthening our ability to adapt to a changing climate.
The sustainability of my business innovations and aligning them with climate needs drives me to contribute to the U.K.’s and U.S.’s net-zero pact. And climate-tech compliance allows a tech firm to contribute toward achieving the net-zero goal independently.
The Ideal Net-Zero Organization
Business leaders often wonder if their firms can reach “ideal” net-zero status. To answer this, we need to understand that achieving net zero is not an independent effort but a collaborative and unified goal that needs to resonate with our changing environment. It is a holistic approach that encompasses various aspects of a firm’s operations.
Here, I will discuss the core practices that may help a firm holistically contribute to long-term net-zero goals.
Energy Efficiency
You can implement energy-efficient practices across your firm’s infrastructures like data centers, office spaces and software development facilities. This involves using energy-efficient hardware and equipment to optimize cooling systems. You can also adopt virtualization and cloud technologies, as well as energy-efficient practices like decarbonization and managing non-carbon-dioxide climate pollutants.
Renewable Energy
You can also shift to renewable energy sources to power your operations and software development. As a sustainable tech innovator, I endorse installing solar panels, thereby “cleaning” the firm’s electricity supply by utilizing geothermal energy. You can also procure renewable energy from external sources like purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) or entering into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with renewable energy providers.
In the U.K., Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Market) issues renewable energy guarantee of origin (REGO) certificates that confirm that your company’s energy is generated from renewable sources. This assures customers that the firm uses sustainable energy and helps create good will with the community.
Carbon Offsetting And Decarbonization
To compensate for unavoidable emissions, companies can invest in carbon offset projects. Support initiatives that reduce or remove greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions include reforestation, afforestation and clean energy programs like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) multiple initiatives.
You can also consider implementing cloud and edge computing models to facilitate resource sharing and reduce data and compute movement. A carbon calculator can be used to determine the company’s carbon footprint and the amount of carbon offset required.
Utilizing post-combustion methods like oxyfuel combustion also aids in the economical capture of carbon dioxide from specific sources, as it increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaust gases. The advancement of new post-combustion technologies, such as innovative solvent formulations, sorbents and membranes, plays a crucial role in reducing the cost associated with carbon dioxide capture.
Engaging Employees In Sustainability
Another important step toward net-zero goals is to engage employees in sustainability initiatives and encourage behavior change. For instance, you can raise awareness about energy-saving practices, waste reduction and the importance of sustainability.
There are also platforms and software designed to help employees control their household subscriptions and reduce their carbon footprint. For instance, one U.K.-based subscription management app assists users in managing and saving on their energy, broadband, digital TV and mobile phone subscriptions by providing comprehensive household data metrics using smart meters and insights.
You can also offer employee incentives for sustainable activities or implement green reward schemes. For example, the Gedling Borough Council’s Green Rewards program encourages residents to engage in sustainable behaviors via incentives such as discounts and vouchers. You earn these rewards for engaging in activities like cycling, walking, recycling and volunteering in environmental projects.
You can also follow U.S. government initiatives like the Federal Sustainability Plan. This plan focuses on internal capacity building through engagement and education on federal sustainability. According to the plan, federal agencies must integrate sustainability and climate adaptation into human capital planning, including staffing, training and resources.
Some tech organizations have also developed apps that allow individuals to track their carbon footprint when they commute. Companies can track this for all their employees and have a consolidated score.
Data Center Optimization
Finally, you can strive for sustainable data centers by optimizing server utilization and using advanced cooling techniques. Also, energy management systems can help monitor and control energy consumption.
You can also explore innovative technologies like liquid cooling and modular data centers for improved efficiency. Liquid coolant protects servers in edge data centers, and the high cooling capacity is ideal for blockchain computing, AI and the IoT. Cloud hosts and hyperscalers are among the most avid users of liquid cooling technology.
My 2 Cents
As a tech innovator, it’s my moral obligation to advocate for sustainable tech development. Business leaders should strive to build net-zero-compliant companies, but navigating that path requires a thoughtful approach. We can actively contribute to the global net-zero pact by pairing our business innovations with climate change.
To holistically contribute to the collaborative and global net-zero goal, we must actively focus on core practices such as improving energy efficiency, adopting renewable energy sources, offsetting carbon emissions, engaging employees and optimizing our data centers. Implementing these practices allows us to make significant strides toward becoming sustainable organizations and actively contributing to the global fight against climate change.