The importance of us all taking action to protect the environment has never been greater, which is why Micro Focus is proud to sign the CIO Strategy Council’s Sustainable IT Pledge, alongside our peers.
The Earth is in a ‘code-red situation,’ as described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently. We as individuals, as corporations and as a society can no longer assume that this is somebody else’s problem to fix. The unfortunate truth is that, just like the global pandemic, climate change is everybody’s problem. The only way to reduce and reverse its impact is for our modus operandi to change through a focused, collaborative, and large-scale effort. The onus is on each of us to take a stand on the climate and do what we can within our respective areas of expertise or focus.
A greener and more sustainable future
Regardless of where in the organization a person may sit, there is an opportunity to make choices that support a greener and more sustainable future. Whether a grassroots initiative or formal program, every individual and team can make such choices. In the technology space, decisions should be based on not just meeting desired business outcomes but sustainability or green outcomes. Procurement processes should assess how technology suppliers are enabling an organization or government to meet its net-zero or carbon reduction targets. Suppliers can measure the environmental impact of their solutions and take steps to reduce or offset energy requirements through energy efficient hardware or cloud-based deployments. However, the best approach is for suppliers, industry and government to collaborate and build a strategy to drive this urgent large-scale change.
With that intention in mind, the CIO Strategy Council, of which Micro Focus is a member, has created Canada’s first Sustainable IT pledge, a commitment that focuses on something more important than innovation, profit or growth but on putting the planet first. Digital technologies have largely flown under the radar on emissions, but as more and more of the world moves online they cannot be ignored. With energy consumption from digital technologies rising six times faster than the rest of the economy, by 2025, digital technologies will account for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. As a long-term commitment, an advisory committee made up of 18 leading organizations will guide the implementation of the pledge and help coordinate action from CIO Strategy Council as well as the 29 organizations and counting that have signed the pledge.
As well as helping our customers address their carbon footprint and adopt carbon friendly IT strategies such as enabling greater efficiency and longer life from their existing technology, Micro Focus is committed to reducing its own carbon footprint. Through Micro Focus INSPIRE, the company’s global environmental, social and governance (ESG) program, Micro Focus has implemented targets and recommendations to reduce energy consumption and increase the use of renewable energy. These have played a part in shaping the Procurement Policy for all energy contract renewals at sites around the world. Today, 40% of our energy comes from renewable sources globally and our ambition is to reach 50% by the end of 2021. Micro Focus improved its CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) score in 2020, achieving a B rating, which is an above average performance in Europe and within the IT & software development sector. The score recognizes high performance in our emissions reduction initiatives and our governance around how Micro Focus manages its environmental impacts.
However, there is much more work to do which is why we are delighted to collaborate with peers and support the CIO Strategy Council’s Sustainable IT Pledge. Together, we can all play a part in helping to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
