How does cloud computing help businesses achieve environmental sustainability?

Using cloud computing as a tool for environmental sustainability

Cloud computing solutions have helped businesses meet their needs as well as achieve environmental sustainability.

Cloud computing is an integral element of information technology environmental sustainability. Its energy and resource efficiency makes it a great component of a green informational technology approach. It makes a positive contribution to sustainability and encourages cleantech applications such as smart grids as well as promoting virtual services which replace resource ridden heavy physical devices. It also takes resources where efficiency, cleaner, and safer jobs are guaranteed. In this article, we explore how cloud computing can be used as a tool for environmental sustainability.

Electronic waste and energy consumption

Rapid technological advancement in the information and communication sector poses a great challenge, especially on environmental sustainability. Processing and storage of data require huge resources. With the rapid advancement and disruptive nature of this technology, devices become obsolete within a short period leading to the pilling of electronic waste. On energy consumption, a huge amount of resources are required especially when it comes to data storage. Efficient cloud computing offers the users a chance to enjoy the capabilities provided by this important service as well as take part in the conservation of resources.

Reduced carbon footprint

Efficient cloud computing systems are designed in a way that they emit less carbon and have a minimal effect on the environment. Reports show that companies that depend on computing cloud services emit 95 per cent less carbon in comparison with those that host such data storage systems in their premises. The amount of carbon reduced by the adoption of outsourced cloud computing services is equivalent to the removal of hundreds of millions of cars off the road. Large scale businesses using cloud solutions have the capacity of reducing their carbon footprint by 30 per cent while small and medium businesses reduce by 90 per cent. With businesses’ investment in cloud computing solutions, they not only meet their needs but also help in achieving environmental sustainability.

Improved energy efficiency

While cloud computing offers a chance for a business to reduce its carbon footprint more benefits can be derived through the adoption of systems that guarantee improved energy efficiency. Cloud storage is known to consume a relatively high amount of energy especially when the cooling methods which are used need additional systems such as cleaning the air. Businesses will reduce energy costs if they adopt energy-efficient systems such as liquid immersion cooling. Through the adoption of energy-efficient cloud computing solutions, the business will not only be helping in achieving environmental sustainability; they are also able to access a huge amount of computing power, and as a result, gain a competitive advantage in their sector. 

Cloud computing efficiency and its scalability play a huge role in the reduction of energy consumption and wastage. Through the elimination or reduction of hardware, a business can cut on costs that are incurred on the acquisition, maintenance, and upgrades of such equipment. They are also offered relatively lower running costs delivered by higher flexibility on business expansion. Cloud computing is highly recommended for business which is looking to reduce its computing time and cost as well as increase productivity through the capacity to reduce interactions. All these possibilities not only contribute to economic but also environmental and social sustainability.