With a core IT business model, encapsulating everything from IT infrastructure to sales, services and provision, sustainability and decarbonisation will always be at the front of mind for Total Computer Networks (TCN). Net zero is a pressing focus for the UK economy, with the country being the world’s first major economy to present a decarbonisation strategy to reach zero emissions by 2050 - now, more than ever, sustainability is a priority, and we aim to follow suit.
Following on from the initial “clean tech” investment bubble, businesses continued to see the benefits of investing in low-carbon or net zero technology. Today, the International Energy Agency calculates that newly developed patents relating to utilities such as batteries, smart grids and carbon capture are eclipsing carbon heavy technologies such as fossil fuels. Last year alone, Bloomberg estimates that investment into decarbonisation topped $500BN (Economist Business, 2021). It could be said simply that, in a sector such as this, innovation is key to success and, often, money follows innovation.
Decarbonisation, itself, refers to reducing or eliminating “all” man-made carbon emissions. Being in a notably carbon-intensive sector means that we have a duty to make commitments to lower our impact and ensure we protect our ecosystems for future generations. Now, climate action is more pressing than ever and we pledge to lower our emissions in line with government strategy and others within the sector. To avoid climate catastrophe and limit global warming to 1.5°C, we need to make efforts now - collectively with our clients and consumer base, and on our own terms.
Given we offer IT services and rely heavily on cloud and remote server bases, one key thing we can do is decarbonise computing in data centers. With these becoming more of a priority for TCN and the work we do elsewhere, we need to make sure we invest in sustainable allies and reduce our energy usage whilst maintaining optimal performance. AWS have made strong strides in the decarbonisation space and we need to ensure we maintain and build on this relationship.
Efficiency is another key area of focus. Particularly in the development of IoT, efficiency has been a crucial factor and we should look to replicate the success of this in other areas; enabling smarter, sustainable environments and reducing environmental consumption. Overall, the path to decarbonisation should most crucially prioritise a combination of innovation in technology, infrastructure developments, data management and supply chain neutrality. Emissions balancing can be a critical area whereby emissions can be reduced whilst standard means of reduction are not possible. Clearly, the biggest factor is reducing energy usage and considering our output and this is a key area which Total seeks to prioritise today.
Complete decarbonisation could result in huge savings globally. For our business, this could result in smoother, more efficient processes and a greater level of trust and positive engagements with consumers, partners and suppliers. Innovation can be driven further, and we can seek to set examples to others in the industry - locally and globally. Play your part today and support us as we seek to drive innovation and decarbonise.
To summarise, step by step:
- Know your baseline and potential. Identifying where you are now can help you make faster decisions, including where and when to act.
- Create and announce targets. Whilst you know what goals are possible, it is time to make changes and announce them.
- Deploy decarbonisation programs. It takes time and there is no one-size-fits-all.
- Monitor and adjust. Decarbonisation isn’t a linear process.