Markets are demanding sustainability from every business. Whether you are an independent graphic designer or a developer for Microsoft, you risk falling by the wayside of the new eco-conscious economy if you lag in implementing technology that helps the environment. Fortunately, technological innovation and sustainability goals go hand-in-hand.
By narrowing your sustainability focus, integrating your focus into all business activities, using data aggregation to monitor progress and assessing new technologies, your business will be on its way to digital sustainability.
Choose Your Key Performance Indicators
Instead of thinking about your company with a vague idea of sustainability, narrow your focus with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Choose a few KPIs from the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development. Their report lists 17 general goals and delves deeper with related specific objectives.
Choose KPIs that impact your business either as risks or opportunities while keeping in mind the time frame of the impact. For instance, if a company predicts the need for increased digital dexterity skills in their workforce, then goal 4.4 is relevant to them.
Finding sustainable goals that relate to your business ensures you buy into your sustainability and technology development because doing so can help your business.
Integrate New Priorities into Technology
Armed with specific sustainability performance indicators, you can now integrate them into your existing technologies and future technology decisions. This being the fourth industrial revolution, there are an unending number of innovations and technologies that help the environment that your business may be using or looking to implement in the future.
For instance, the Internet of Things can be used to monitor HVAC use in your offices. You can leverage the data it collects into smart decisions about reducing your business’ operational GHG emissions.
Sustainability and technology come together in cloud storage and operations. The Cloud gives your workers the ability to work remotely, reducing their transportation emissions. Plus, cloud storage solutions are much greener than past legacy infrastructure.
Measure and Report Progress With New Technology
One of the most important elements of advancing toward your digital sustainability goals is constant monitoring and reporting. With AI technology, you do not need to exert many work hours on measuring and reporting.
Consider the office HVAC scenario. With data accumulation technology like the Internet of Things, you can feed HVAC data to AI programs that learn the most sustainable ways of running your office.
It is also important to create reports of your business’ advances toward sustainability goals. By releasing sustainability reports, you fulfill sustainability KPI 12.6.1. Your environmentally-minded clientele wants to know about the sustainable technology solutions you employ and the differences they have made, so it is good press to publish your reports.
Keep an Eye Out for New Sustainable Technology
Keeping your business sustainability KPIs in mind when considering new technologies is a great way to naturally build a green business model. If one of your KPIs is to increase digital skill learning opportunities for the workforce, then new management software that naturally implements learning opportunities into everyday work is ideal.
This example shows how having a strong commitment to KPIs during business expansion phases organically grows your sustainable infrastructure.
Prepare for the Future One Technology at a Time
The future of business and technology is marked by uncertainty which is why your company needs a strong understanding of its sustainability principles. These principles can guide you in your digital sustainability efforts and future growth.
The Cloud, Internet of Things, and AI are having a variety of impacts on companies’ carbon footprints. There are opportunities for efficiency and reductions in emissions, but a lot of digital infrastructure lags behind in terms of sustainability. Technology can aid in our green efforts, but there is still a lot of room for organizations to improve.
At Orbus Software, we serve as architects to build your company’s digital sustainability future. Our IT knowledge enables digital transformations based on sustainability, flexibility, and profitability.