VIEWPOINT
ALAA BAWAB, GENERAL MANAGER, LENOVO INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS GROUP (ISG), MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA, IDENTIFIES FIVE KEY AREAS WHERE ENTERPRISE DECISION MAKERS SHOULD FOCUS ON TO REDUCE THE CARBON IMPACT OF THEIR DATA CENTRE OPERATIONS.
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ith the UAE being announced as host of the COP28 talks in 2023, and Saudi Arabia committing to reach net zero by 2060, environmental issues have never been higher on the agenda in the region. For many businesses, sustainability has joined efficiency, flexibility and resilience as their chief priorities. In the post-lockdown economy enterprises are embracing the opportunity to integrate sustainability into the fabric of their data centre operations, both as a business win and for the benefit of society, and to define their pathway to zero-emission computing. 5 priority areas for sustainable data center operations Sustainability isn’t only about taking
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CXO INSIGHT ME
JANUARY 2022
incremental steps to reduce carbon emissions and resource consumption. It’s a mindset that permeates organisational culture, and as IT organisations, we have a collective responsibility to set the benchmarks and operate in a way that creates a positive impact on workforces, society, and the environment. Enterprise decision makers need to balance the growing demand for IT with rising expectations around environmentally responsible operations. Here are five areas of focus that can help align data centre operations with sustainability goals.
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Reduce the resource impact of data Data is growing at an exponential rate. While the potential utility of data makes it a powerful asset, a lack
of strategy around its accumulation can quickly turn it into a liability. Currently, around 1% of global electricity is used to power data centres and as we progress towards a world where data is projected to grow to 463 exabytes of data created every day by 2025, electricity consumption could multiply rapidly. The energy impact goes beyond just the electrical. According to a US Government report, a data centre will need on average around 1.8litres of water for every kWh consumed, predominantly for air conditioning purposes. As part of reducing resource consumption, enterprises should consider moving the infrastructure that underpins their data operations, towards infrastructure built with energy efficiency in mind.
