In Luxembourg, as elsewhere, every company is called upon to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In many areas, this transition is well underway, with effective reductions in the carbon footprint of activities. However, a few sectors are exceptions. Emissions from digital services, for example, continue to grow exponentially. "Digital uses are increasing sharply, with the development of the cloud, connected objects and artificial intelligence. While many sectors are succeeding in reducing their carbon footprint, the digital sector is following the opposite trend," admits Hervé Knoery, recently appointed Head of Responsible Digital Services at the POST Luxembourg group. The digital sector will account for 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2019. After growing by 8 to 10% a year for the previous ten years, we are now experiencing an even greater acceleration. Projections put the digital sector's share of global emissions at over 12% by 2030*.
Digital uses are increasing sharply, with the development of the cloud, connected objects and artificial intelligence.
Emissions linked to equipment and its use
Behind the uses of digital technology, however fluid they may be, lies an industry that is a major consumer of mineral resources and energy. The main source of carbon dioxide emissions associated with IT lies in the manufacture of equipment, i.e. our smartphones and tablets, our laptops and the computer servers installed in businesses or data centres, which are the various components of the network.
"Manufacturing the components of our equipment requires us to extract minerals from the ground. These operations emit large quantities of greenhouse gases. What's more, the conditions in which the workforce is called upon to carry out these extractions are not always optimal," comments Hervé Knoery. The other major source of emissions is digital energy consumption. "It is estimated that 75-95% of emissions are attributable to the manufacture of equipment. Usage only accounts for between 5 and 25%. What makes the difference is the energy mix of the country in which the users are located", continues the manager.
Towards a sustainable approach to digital technology
The findings are overwhelming and should encourage us to rethink our approach to digital, with a view to implementing a responsible approach. It was with this in mind that the POST group created the new position now held by Hervé Knoery. My role is to implement and coordinate an approach that supports responsible digital development, within our structure, in collaboration with our partners and with our customers," he explains. Awareness of the impact of digital technology must lead us to take steps to improve our environmental footprint. This approach involves all our stakeholders and our employees. As such, it is also societal and social. Our customers ask us for data on the carbon footprint of our services. A large proportion of the emissions are due to the manufacture of the equipment supplied by our partners and which we resell or use. The first challenge is to be able to assess our impact more accurately, i.e. our emissions and the production of digital-related waste", continues the manager. These measurements will enable us to identify priority areas for action to limit our impact.
Changing business models
There are many ways of doing this. For example, we can reduce emissions by extending the lifespan of equipment, helping to repair rather than replace it, and ensuring that components are reclaimed and recycled. It is also essential to work on improving the energy performance of data centres, optimising networks and eco-designing digital services.
"As we embark on this path, we realise that this is an eminently business-related issue. Part of our revenue comes from the sale of subscriptions, which are in turn linked to the provision of smartphones. Our services rely on equipment that needs to be renewed regularly," explains Hervé Knoery. So we need to explore ways of developing our business model, in collaboration with our customers and equipment suppliers. This means putting in place a clear roadmap and being able to report on our efforts and make the most of them.
Alongside a Green IT approach, it is essential to promote IT for Green. Our aim is to support our customers in their transition.
Digital services for the transition
While we need to minimise our impact, it's also important to harness the potential of technology to support the transition. "Alongside a Green IT approach, it is essential to promote IT for Green. Our aim is to support our customers in their transition. At DEEP, our teams are recognised experts in a large number of digital technologies. Our challenge is to complement our traditional expertise in order to support our customers in their own transformation towards a responsible digital future. By putting our capacity for innovation at their service, we are helping them to optimise the use of resources and reduce their environmental impact", concludes Hervé Knoery.
*Source: The Shift Project 2020.