Research finds organisations in Ireland are more likely than those in the US, UK, Germany and France to have clear plans for decarbonisation.
The study by global tech consulting player Expleo also found that organisations in Ireland are more likely than all other countries surveyed – the US, UK, Germany and France – to be pursuing their green agenda with a clear plan.
The research, which included a survey of 111 business and IT leaders in Ireland, found that despite having clear plans to meet their decarbonisation targets, businesses in Ireland are not there yet.
“Ireland’s business community recognises its role in tackling the climate crisis and there is now a hyper-focus on the need for action”
Some 89% believe that their organisation could do more to make their IT infrastructure and projects more environmentally friendly.
Digitalisation and the environment
Phil Codd, managing director, Expleo Ireland
But with the accelerated uptake of new digital technologies, many are struggling to understand how digitalisation is impacting their environmental footprint. In fact, 90% of senior business and IT leaders say they need to do better to understand the environmental impact of using more digital systems.
Despite this significant knowledge gap, the research, published in Expleo’s Business Transformation Index 2022 Ireland Report, suggests that organisations are starting to realise how technology can be used to support their sustainability efforts. Almost one-third (30%) of businesses in Ireland will use digital transformation to become more sustainable and environmentally responsible.
Many businesses are prepared to dedicate a significant portion of their IT budgets to becoming more sustainable. Almost half (42%) of businesses in Ireland plan to spend more than 10% of their 2022 tech budgets making their IT more sustainable. Just 2% of organisations will not use any of their tech budgets to make their IT more sustainable.
“Our research shows that Ireland’s business community recognises its role in tackling the climate crisis and there is now a hyper-focus on the need for action,” said Phil Codd, managing director of Expleo Ireland.
“It is promising to see that business leaders are making significant investments in improving the efficiency of their IT infrastructure. We are moving beyond lip service and are now seeing real, meaningful action.
“Digital transformation is proving to not only be good for business but good for the planet. Over the last two years, enterprises have embraced digital technologies to ensure business growth and survival. And while there are some concerns around the environmental footprint of embracing digital, we have seen how the adoption of cloud-based applications, or innovations that use energy more efficiently, have had a positive impact on reducing carbon outputs.
“Increasingly, we will see businesses turn to technology to innovate and improve efficiencies, with sustainability at the core. And while now, businesses are dedicating a proportion of their IT budgets to sustainability efforts, we will soon be at the point where IT and sustainability are intertwined.”
