How cloud computing can help in achieving ESG goals
Different countries across the world have committed to pledges where they are supposed to keep global warming in check. Businesses are critical in helping governments achieve their commitments in the Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs). Through the adoption of measures or systems that are geared towards minimizing the environmental footprints, they are not only meeting their Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) goals but also helping in meeting national targets. Data centres and cloud computing are two areas that environmentally conscious businesses have stressed as they seek to reduce their carbon footprint while maximizing productivity. In this article, we will explore how the two can help a business in achieving its ESG goals.
Cloud computing
Cloud computing entails the delivery of services such as servers, databases, analytics, storage, and intelligence, among others, over the internet. With cloud computing, businesses can convert large capital costs into small and manageable expenses. This delivers convenient, on-demand network access to a wider pool of shared computing resources. Simply put, cloud computing allows users to rent out resources instead of buying. This reduces the outlay costs, saving a business a huge amount of capital. Instead of spending hefty sums of money on software, databases, and hardware, among other resources, business opts to access computing power through the internet and pay for only what they use. With this arrangement, a business has convenient access to a wider range of shared resources.
Other benefits derived from cloud services include:
- Shortening the information technology purchasing and upgrade cycles
- Increasing scalability, providing convenience, cost savings, and flexibility
- Enables businesses to achieve almost instantaneous change
- Encourages innovation and collaborations
- Frees up or reduces the need for large spaces
- Allows remote connection anywhere and anytime
- Your infrastructure will be constantly updated; this ensures that your systems are up-to-date and secure
Reducing carbon footprint
With these benefits, cloud computing can help a business reduce its carbon footprint and improve its environmental impact. It is a great investment that businesses can use in their quest to achieve net zero operations.
Environmental benefits that businesses can achieve through cloud computing include:
- Reduction in energy consumption as, collectively, data centres are known to consume less power on average when compared with on-premises data hosting.
- Reduction in greenhouse gases through power consumption reduction, among other initiatives
- Sharing computing resources eliminates the need to pill up assets, therefore, freeing a lot of space and ultimately reducing waste. Electronic waste is a great environmental concern that most businesses are dealing with
- It allows effective allocation of resources as you only get what you need.
- Reduces commute time, thereby reducing the effects of transportation on the environment
- Encourages innovation, thereby coming up with eco-friendlier components
The adoption of cloud computing is beneficial not only to your business but also to the environment. Businesses should strive towards adopting cloud services not just as a cost-saving measure but also as a way to reduce their environmental impact.
