According to Microsoft, IT advancements have “transformed computing into the fifth utility, after water, electricity, gas, and telephony”. We’re learning how to live sustainably, and the tech we use is no exception.  

Adopting a sustainability-first business mindset can not only save the planet but save unnecessary costs, too. We looked at the ways in which Azure cloud-based computing (and other Microsoft products!) utilise green tech to contribute to a sustainable future – here’s what we found… 

Cut carbon impact with cloud computing 

Upon entering the era of the digital imperative, cloud computing is a must. Aside from clear benefits in driving business efficiencies through real-time data, public cloud migration can save on the total cost of ownership (TCO) by 30-40%, according to Accenture. Aside from saving organisational expenses, carbon emissions can be reduced by up to 98% by moving on-premises workloads to Microsoft Azure. For example, replacing a resource-heavy server with a single virtual machine (VM) minimises power consumption, thus minimising carbon footprint.  

Furthermore, by migrating on-premises Remote Desktop Services (RDS) to Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure, applications can be configured for the cloud to enable members of an organisation to work from anywhere, at any time. The ability to securely work from home using Azure means that there are fewer carbon emissions from staff travelling to on-site locations. 

Monitor your energy emissions 

To gain insight into organisational carbon emissions emitted from cloud computing, Microsoft launched the Emissions Impact Dashboard, which was validated by Stanford University in 2018. This application runs on Power BI Pro and allows organisations to monitor and track where their cloud usage is creating the most environmental impact and understand how data centre efficiencies have helped the organisation avoid emissions. The Emissions Impact Dashboard demonstrates where further carbon emissions can be reduced through migrating further on-premise workloads to Azure, or Microsoft 365 online applications like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. 

Minimal wastage 

Another way that adopting sustainable tech can lessen the environmental impact is by minimising the waste of outdated IT equipment – also known as e-waste. Through virtual machines, the amount of obsolete physical IT equipment can be reduced. As well as this, the adoption of cloud storage means there is no longer a physical storage requirement for documentation, and consequently less paper waste.  

Real-time data insights mean that there is no overprovision of material goods, minimising financial wastage on unnecessary stock or equipment through demand prediction capabilities. An example of this is Jabil manufacturing plants, which have utilised several Microsoft technologies – including Azure and Power BI – to monitor millions of data points from machines in the manufacturing process, predicting failures early rather than late in the operation – minimising wastage. 

Similarly, sustainable software engineering activities – also known as Green Coding – can prevent energy wastage. An example of this would be ensuring that the appropriate programming language for the task is selected, saving days of operating usage and reducing energy consumption. To work towards goals of addressing the carbon crisis, Microsoft, GitHub, Accenture and Thoughtworks have launched the Green Software Foundation, combatting the issue of the mass-energy use of datacentres by committing to more efficient software practices. 

Sustainable tech for a sustainable future

According to Accenture’s Strategy CEO Study on Sustainability, 94% of top CEOs feel that sustainability is important or very important to driving future business success; don’t let your organisation fall behind. Telefónica Tech is a Microsoft Partner and member of the Microsoft Inner Circle for Business Applications with capabilities spanning the full Microsoft stack. If you would like to find out how Telefónica Tech can create a sustainable future for your business via digital transformation, get in touch today.