Summary Report on the Readiness of Sectors for Digital Transformation and Carbon Footprint

🌍📢 Driving Green Digitalization: Unlocking a Sustainable Future
As our world grapples with the consequences of economic growth and the relentless consumption of natural resources and energy, the need for sustainable development has never been more critical. In this context, Risto Ivanov, PhD, has authored a groundbreaking report that sheds light on the readiness of sectors for digital transformation and their potential carbon footprint. This blog post aims to promote the invaluable insights and recommendations outlined in the report, pointing the way towards a greener and more prosperous future.

Embracing the Digital Revolution:
The report emphasizes that the convergence of a greener economy and digitalization presents unparalleled opportunities for technological advancements and sustainable investments. By aligning digital strategies with climate and economic goals, the digital sector can pave the way for a greener future.

Key Recommendations

The report offers a set of strategic recommendations that will propel us towards sustainable digitalization:

1️⃣ Raising Awareness:
To bridge the knowledge gap surrounding green digitalization, it is crucial to launch an awareness campaign. This campaign should target authorities, municipalities, business associations, professional bodies, and industrial sectors. By highlighting the impact of ICT infrastructure on CO2 emissions, energy consumption, circularity, and digitalization trends, we can foster a collective understanding of the urgent need for sustainability.

2️⃣ Legislative Support:
Cooperation among stakeholders is vital for sustainable digital transformation. By implementing standards like EnISO 20000 (IT service management) and EnISO 27000 (information security management), we can establish a framework for collaboration. Additionally, enforcing laws for issuing digital documents and embracing the EN 50600 standard for data centres will provide a solid foundation for green digitalization.

3️⃣ Eco-Design Requirements:
Harmonizing national legislation with EU regulations, such as eco-design requirements for servers and data storage products, will enable us to reduce the environmental impact of digital infrastructure. Adopting the European Code of Conduct for energy efficiency in data centres and implementing EU Green Public Procurement criteria for data centres, server rooms, and cloud services will further bolster sustainability efforts.

4️⃣ Monitoring for Progress:
Establishing a robust monitoring system and barometer for green digitalization will enable us to measure our progress and accelerate the transition. By closely tracking our efforts, we can identify areas for improvement and effectively manage green digitalization initiatives aligned with our country’s unique needs.

5️⃣ Incentivizing Change:
To encourage the adoption of sustainable practices, it is essential to establish incentives for big data centres. These incentives can include higher operational temperatures for ICT equipment, subsidies for renewable energy utilization in cooling, and an increased share of renewable energy in electricity bills. By doing so, we can significantly reduce energy consumption and enhance the competitiveness of our data centres in both the EU and global markets.

6️⃣ Sector-Specific Readiness:
Understanding that different sectors have distinct challenges, the report highlights sector-specific recommendations:

• Agriculture: Prioritize the digitalization of processes and address the shortage of technical staff to minimize the sector’s environmental footprint.
• Construction: Introduce digital technologies and processes while carefully managing the potential 15% increase in environmental footprint due to cloud computing, IoT, and data centers.
• Public Sector: Transition to a co-location model with cloud computing to reduce electricity consumption and carbon footprint by over 20%.

7️⃣ Making Green Digitalization a Priority:
To drive change, it is vital to ensure that green digitalization becomes a top priority for stakeholders and end-users of ICT equipment. Implementing minimum measures for managing green digitalization, such as renewable energy usage, in-house energy reuse, energy-efficient infrastructure, and resource management, will lay the foundation for sustainable transformation across sectors.

The summary report on the readiness of sectors for digital transformation and carbon footprint paints a clear roadmap towards a greener and more sustainable future. By embracing the recommendations outlined in the report, we can leverage digitalization to achieve our climate and economic goals while safeguarding our environment. Let us join hands, prioritize sustainability, and unlock the immense potential of green digitalization. Together, we can build a better world—one that thrives on innovation, sustainability, and a shared commitment to a brighter tomorrow.

To dive deeper into the report and explore its recommendations, click here:

📝🔗 Summary Report on the Readiness of Sectors for Digital Transformation and Carbon Footprint