Earth Day 2023

Today is a day where we reflect and take a closer than usual look at our Earths health and how important the health of our planet is for EVERY living being.

Sometimes the importance of the Earth slips away from people’s minds. We hear that we need to recycle, compost and not litter, so on and so forth that it tends to feel mundane and overdone. Is it fruitless? Not at all.

Earth Day has been in existence since 1970, thanks to Senator Gaylord Nelson. He had always been very concerned about our environmental impact but after a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara the year prior, he organized a student protest on April 22, 1969. Having been inspired by the students anti-war movement, he saw the passion that the future generation had for the betterment of our world and wanted to help rally up more folks to join another incredibly important movement.

Despite Earth Day originally starting in the US, it has spread across the globe massively since it’s inception. Having been more than 50 years since the first Earth Day, his message echo’s louder than ever before. The crisis of our earth is detrimental and more businesses should be taking bigger actions, especially the tech industry.

Earth Day holds significant importance as technology has a significant impact on the environment. The manufacturing of electronic devices, the use of energy in data centers, and the disposal of electronic waste are some of the challenges that the industry faces in terms of sustainability. In 2019 alone, over 22 million tonnes of small e-waste were produced worldwide. That’s insane! That’s only small e-waste too.

As a business, there are several steps that you can take to reduce your impact on the environment.

Conducting an Energy Audit

This can help you identify areas of energy waste and opportunities for energy savings. You can hire an energy auditor or use energy management software to conduct the audit. Once you have conducted an internal audit, you can see where your pain points are.

Energy-Efficient Equipment

One way to become more sustainable is to use energy-efficient equipment that have earned an A grade Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Additionally, you can opt for virtual meetings instead of physical ones, reducing the need for travel and associated carbon emissions.

Cloud

Businesses should also be integrating to the cloud. Not only is it a great for costs, scalability and security, it is very eco-friendly. By using shared resources, cloud providers can reduce the amount of energy needed to power and cool their data centers. The one drawback is that there are some data centers that may still run on fossil fuel energy.

Whilst there are many many data centers that do use renewable energy, the tech industry should focus on making all of them run on more renewable energy and possibly only using non-renewable energy as a backup source (in case of any failures). Apart from that, businesses should still move towards the cloud as it does reduce your carbon footprint drastically.

Go Digital

Most things are done electronically now anyways, but there are still more ways to go digital. Electronic forms can be used to replace paper-based forms. This can include online forms for surveys, registration, and other purposes. You can also use digital signature software to sign documents electronically, which can eliminate the need for printing and signing paper documents.

If printing is necessary, you can reduce paper usage by printing double-sided. This can help to cut paper usage in half, reducing the need for paper and reducing waste. The usage of of recycled paper is also vital, if printing is needed.

Energy Monitoring

Installing energy monitoring equipment to track your energy consumption is great way too. This can include smart meters, submeters, or energy monitoring software that can track energy usage in real-time. From there, you can implement energy efficiency measures to reduce your energy consumption. That can include upgrading to energy-efficient lighting, systems, and appliances. You can also implement energy-saving practices, such as turning off lights and equipment when not in use.

Repairing/Recycling Tech

The production of new IT equipment requires a significant amount of resources, such as metals, plastics, and energy. These materials are shrinking by the day with the amount that the tech industry demands. The sourcing of these materials are already controversial, so the re-use of previously sourced material greatly reduces the demand for new products and conserve these resources.

Repairing IT equipment is also often less expensive than replacing it, which can save your business money. This can also encourage the development of a repair and refurbishment industry, which can create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Renewable energy

Last but not least, investing into renewable energy is a game changer. It can help your business save money on energy costs over the long term. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal are becoming increasingly affordable and can help you reduce your energy bills. They can also help your business become more energy independent. This reduces your reliance on traditional energy sources, which can be volatile in price and supply

The tech industry should also invest and become more dependent on renewable energy. There’s a big fear that it simply just won’t be as efficient as traditional sources, but that’s simply not the case (especially nowadays). Efficiency and eco-friendless can come hand in hand.

(We also went into the topics at hand during last years Earth Day as well: Happy Earth Day all! – IQ in IT)

Since the previous year, we are now Green Mark certified. This shows how we have taken action to help become more sustainable within our company and how we plan to implement further green prospects. We may have become certified but we are not done trying to improve not just our own sustainability, but other businesses as well.

Earth Day serves as a reminder for all of us to take responsibility for the environment and make conscious decisions to promote sustainability. For us to make the positive impact we want to see on the earth, we have to change our way of thinking. Prioritize efficiency and longevity just as much as we do speed and low pricing. As consumers, we need to value sustainability, and manufacturers should too. Making technology more cost-friendly is of big importance too.

In conclusion, Let us use this day to reflect on our actions and commit to making a difference for the future of our planet.

Want to learn how to become more green as a company and work with a green IT service provider? Email us via our email or call us on 0330 1224 420

Continue reading:

Cut Your Carbon Emissions – 17 Steps your Business can Take

Happy Earth Day all! – IQ in IT

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