Sustainability in a Digital World
Technology companies have a lot to offer the world - innovation, top talent, life-changing products and services, and now, efficient applications for sustainability. Technology has no doubt shaped the way we conduct business, communicate with extended family, or even see our doctors. However, software companies are also exploring ways to use technology to manage harmful environmental agents, track hotspots for pollution, optimize the efficiency of air turbines, and ultimately, to support efforts combating the climate crisis.
Applications of Tech for Sustainability
To understand how technology can shape the future of sustainability, we first need to understand what aspects of sustainability are in need of control. Looking at software companies specifically, data centers and server spaces consume massive amounts of energy and produce harmful emissions that contribute to the rising temperatures responsible for some of the environmental disasters we’ve witnessed this year. Areas along the U.S. West Coast, for example, faced a record-high number of wildfires in 2020, making rampant property and environmental damage a major risk to dense populations and cities, both domestic and abroad. Data centers are actively contributing to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and are expediting the climate warming process.
Furthermore, dangerous GHGs, such as methane, require reliable management and tracking during a time where administrations are looking to strip important environmental protections and standards. Across the board, environmental issues are being overlooked and require serious innovation - the perfect market for technology to thrive.
So what moves has the tech sector been making? Industry leaders like Google have moved early, building energy-efficient servers and investing in green energy sources to lower the environmental footprint of their operations as early as 2014. In recent years, Google has proven to be a leader in environmental impact, reducing their amount of energy consumed for server cooling by 40%.
Even oil companies like ExxonMobil are looking for ways to curb unnecessary environmental harm through technology. By working with organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Stanford University, the oil industry has implemented drones and monitoring technologies to detect, track, and manage methane leaks quickly and efficiently. Emerging startups like Jupiter are proving the business case for sustainability-focused technology, raising $23M from major insurance companies, leading VCs, and investors across industries.
Why Sustainability is Worth Investing In
At RyeStrategy, we truly believe that investing in sustainability will save both the environment and your bottom line. Technology has proven over the last decade to have the ability to revolutionize legacy businesses while simultaneously creating entirely new industries. The sustainable applications of cutting-edge tech like AI are estimated to contribute $5.2T to the global economy and reduce global emissions by 4% by 2030.
Not only does a sustainable future benefit our environment and your business’ economic health, it’ll protect your people too. Health risks associated with aggressive air pollution are shown to cost the global economy $225B each year in lost labor income, simultaneously driving productivity down and forcing the hands of companies to shell out “hazard pays” or “pollution premiums” for workers in high-risk areas. Clearly, a company’s bottom line is directly tied to their efforts in creating a sustainable future for all.
The climate crisis has brought anxiety to individuals, communities, and businesses everywhere. However, a glimmer of hope can be found in the exciting and innovative future that technology is paving for our global socioeconomic and environmental health.
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About RyeStrategy
Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
From exhaustive carbon footprinting and mitigation coaching, to setting science-based targets and reporting climate data to CDP, SBTi or custom reporting platforms, RyeStrategy acts as a hands-on extension of the team, custom-tailoring services to fulfill climate disclosure requirements easily and accurately.
Meet with a sustainability specialist to learn more about RyeStrategy solutions.
