The way enterprises do business – in the cloud and driven by data – was responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, and pushed data centers past the aviation industry in emissions, according to the World Economic Forum. But new sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives pop up at corporations all the time, signaling a disconnect between intention and action.

To further assess that disconnect at an enterprise IT level, Pure Storage partnered with Wakefield Research to survey more than 1,000 sustainability managers in four major global markets and found "stark misalignment between IT and sustainability teams," according to Ajay Singh, chief product officer at Pure Storage.

Singh dug into the key points of the report with SDxCentral over an email-conducted interview.

SDxCentral: What was the goal of this research?

Singh: The goal of Pure’s “Drivers of Change” IT Sustainability Impact Survey was to understand how IT professionals are (and are not) collaborating with enterprise sustainability directors to navigate reductions in the environmental footprint of their organizations. The findings will allow us to provide more targeted solutions and resources to help IT leaders work with company stakeholders to improve their data storage strategies and decrease their organization’s carbon footprint as they advance their digital transformation.

SDxCentral: Were any of the report's findings particularly surprising to you?

Singh: The stark misalignment between IT and sustainability teams, especially when purchasing IT equipment and infrastructure, was interesting to see. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said IT infrastructure is likely to be overlooked in the vendor selection process, and two out of three sustainability managers only become involved after the technology purchase process has already begun.

Data centers and digitization play an undeniably important part in corporate sustainability. Data centers currently account for 1% of global electricity consumption today, and the World Economic Forum estimates that digitization generated 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 alone. As a result, there is an incredible opportunity for IT professionals to help their organizations make strides in reducing their environmental footprint. In fact, 100% of respondents agreed that there are benefits from garnering input from sustainability managers earlier in the IT planning process.

SDxCentral: What were other significant conclusions you can draw from the research?

Singh: More than any other business function (like finance, leadership, or operation), IT was identified as not taking the necessary steps to support sustainability goals. To make matters worse, 81% predict the impact of technology infrastructure on a company’s carbon footprint will increase in the next 12 months. While sustainability managers are working toward meeting critical environmental goals, they can’t do so without more sustainable IT infrastructure marked by high efficiency, scalability, and simplicity; this is where IT professionals need to step in. By building and adopting sustainable technology infrastructure, supported by innovative, efficient, and scalable IT vendors, IT teams have the potential to make a significant and immediate impact through technology engineered to use significantly lower power, lower cooling, and far less waste.

SDxCentral: What actions should IT leaders consider after reviewing this research?

Singh: To ensure that every aspect of an organization operates efficiently, sustainability initiatives must be at the forefront of IT-centric decisions, like infrastructure buying, supply chain decisions, operations and more. Luckily, early and consistent communication can easily bridge the gap between IT teams and sustainability managers. All respondents agree that there are benefits to garnering input from sustainability managers earlier in the IT planning process. With careful planning and organization, IT teams can work closely with sustainability managers to mitigate the environmental impact of data infrastructure and create more environmental efficiencies across the business.