IBM and Dell Technologies joined Object Management Group's Responsible Computing (RC) consortium of tech players working to support the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IBM describes responsible computing as a systemic approached targets present and future challenges in computing like sustainability, ethics, and professionalism, "stemming from the belief that we need to start thinking about technology in terms of its impact on people and the planet," according to the company.

The RC manifesto lays out its members' commitments to sustainability, inclusiveness, circularity, openness, authenticity, and accountability to "restore trust in IT," according to the group.

RC Chairman Bill Hoffman said the group "aims to shift thinking and, ultimately, behavior within the IT industry and affect real change. We've made our manifesto and framework freely available, and we've asked every RC member to implement RC principles. Our goal is that someday every IT professional will adhere to RC principles."

Its accompanying framework outlines six areas of responsible computing for use in setting responsible corporate policies. The first describes data centers designed for efficiency and reliant on renewable energy with improved handling of toxic and chemical waste disposal.

The framework also focuses on creating more sustainable, or energy efficient, infrastructure, products, and technologies, along with choosing code that optimizes environmental impact over time. For example, this includes algorithms, frameworks, tools, and KPIs built to optimize efficiency and accelerate decision-making.

The group is also targeting safe data usage to increase "transparency, fairness, privacy, and respect for users." Another domain the consortium is targeting is bias and discrimination in systems. The group aims to drive "equality for all, for example, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for transparency."

RC's final domain is impact, focused on building technologies that leave positive impacts on society at large.

"In addition to being socially and environmentally responsible, we also expect that RC members will see improved go-to-market solutions, strategies and bottom-line results by following RC principles," Marc O’Regan, Dell's CTO for EMEA, added in a statement.