IT Sustainability in 2022: Top Stories So Far

Sustainability has become a top business priority for a number of reasons, not the least being customers are demanding it. From cloud providers to software engineers and even metaverse developers, nearly everyone is thinking "green" these days.

This package of ITPro Today's 10 most-read sustainability stories from the first half of 2022 details what tech companies and IT professionals are already doing — and what they can and should be doing — to reduce the environmental effect of their output on the environment.

1. Why Sustainable Software Engineering Is a Win-Win

While organizations want to be more environmentally friendly, they do have to watch their bottom line. Sustainable software engineering — which has the goal to minimize the impact that applications have on the planet — can actually help a business's bottom line. Read how.

2. Cloud Sustainability: Migration Isn't Just About Efficiency Anymore

Two-thirds of IT leaders say a cloud provider's sustainability initiatives are an important factor in determining with whom they will do business. This article provides key practices for improving sustainability efforts with cloud computing.

3. Devising a Green Cloud Computing Strategy

It's becoming increasingly important for businesses to keep their clouds sustainable even as their workloads grow in scale. Learn how to put a "green" cloud computing strategy into practice.

Related: 8 Tips for Building Green Servers

4. Automation's Role in Corporate Sustainability Initiatives

Automation, when applied correctly, can support corporate sustainability initiatives. Find out how automation can improve energy efficiency and more.

5. ESG Initiatives Experiment with Artificial Intelligence

AI has found a role in environmental, social, and corporate initiatives, such as IBM's Environmental Intelligence Suite, which is being called a "digital twin of Planet Earth." Discover the benefits — and the challenges — of environmental sustainability initiatives that use AI.

6. IBM Buys Australian Analytics Firm Envizi in Environmental Push

By acquiring Envizi, IBM is expanding its AI investments to help companies make their operations more sustainable and socially conscious.

7. Google Cloud Sustainability Summit Pushes Green Agenda

Google believes the path to IT sustainability goes through the cloud. At its inaugural Google Cloud Sustainability Summit in June, the company unveiled new efforts to reduce the impact of IT on the environment. Read how those efforts can help your organization.

Related: Google's Cloud Customers Will Learn Their Gmail Carbon Footprint

8. How IT Operations Sustainability Efforts Can Make a Difference

Sustainability efforts are an increasingly critical part of IT and business operations — but are they best practices? Experts chime in.

Related: How Wind-Prediction Tech Will Change Clean Energy

9.  Will the Metaverse Help or Hinder Sustainability?

metaverse-coding_0

It's too early to determine the metaverse's impact on sustainability. But metaverse developers can start making decisions now that will help the metaverse actually improve sustainability. Learn how to keep the metaverse from becoming a sustainability nightmare.

10. How Reducing Technical Debt Improves Sustainability

For years, IT teams have rooted out technical debt to save money and improve operational efficiency. But there's another benefit to reducing technical debt: It also reduces energy consumption. Tech expert Christopher Tozzi explains why.