Month: April 2023

During last summer’s heatwave, when temperatures soared above 40 degrees, numerous data centres in Britain had to shut down. And in hot weather, data centres need even more power to keep their equipment cool. It highlighted a very real problem that too few people are aware of: the colossal power demands of the data centres that drive almost everything in the modern world, from food delivery to banking to communications.

When people use a computer or a smartphone, they rarely think about what it costs in terms of energy. But even something tiny, like adding more names to a list of people copied on an email, will have a real, measurable energy cost.

With cloud now the default way of working for businesses in almost every sector, the amount of energy used by data centres is ever increasing: currently up to 1.5% of global electricity demand, according to the International Energy Agency.

But solutions exist to reduce the impact of our data centres worldwide. And it’s not some exotic new technology – it’s tried-and-tested hardware which already exists, combined with a fresh way of thinking about the environmental impact of data centres.

Part of the problem is that servers have a long lifetime: up to ten years. As new servers come in, older machines may move away from being business-critical to being something that sits at the back of the data centre, doing something occasionally, but still drawing lots of power. Every data centre has machines that no one is quite sure that they are doing – but people are too afraid to switch them off. Businesses need to move beyond this mindset.

Refreshing hardware

As a consumer, you tend to buy a new machine if your PC is going slowly, or as an employee, raising a ticket with IT usually gets it replaced. Servers sitting in a data centre are a very different matter. They keep on working, even when the hardware is inefficient, outdated and power-hungry.

Refreshing your inventory, especially older assets, can quickly pay for itself by reducing the amount of energy that servers draw. In the same way that modern cars have lower emissions than older models, it pays to have the latest hardware when it comes to data centres.

In past decades, many business decision makers imagined that choosing the ‘green’ option was always going to cost money. But what we are seeing today is that the best economic solution also happens to be the most sustainable solution. If you reduce the amount of power your servers consume in the data centre, your power bill goes down at the same time as your CO2 emissions.

Why asset recovery services matter

Often, if you replace old hardware, you’ll also end up doing the job far more efficiently, with one new box taking the place of 10 or 20 old ones. Updating old hardware doesn’t just cut costs: there’s also a welcome cashflow boost that provides opportunities to improve sustainability to help meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, thanks to asset recovery services.

Every year, the world generates 50 million tonnes of e-waste, enough to cover the island of Manhattan, according to UN statistics. And while Lenovo’s latest research finds that 70% of organisations are already using data to achieve a mix of ESG and financial goals, more needs to be done.

For companies hoping to achieve their ESG goals, an asset recovery service helps in finding the optimal method to dispose of hardware – whether that’s recycling, refurbishing, reusing, or scrapping in an environmentally friendly way, such as waste-to-energy disposal. Organisations need clarity and policies around how this is done – equipment can’t be simply thrown into a skip.

Businesses also need to ensure that their asset recovery services work with partners with the highest standards. This removes risk from the customer – there’s no danger that the partner will find a loophole to ship the waste abroad and dump it in landfill. This is another important way to safeguard reputation.

Recycling servers in this way generates a lot of ‘wins’. If a company gets a few thousand pounds back for the old hardware, they can buy CO2 offsets for the new hardware – or simply donate to an environmental charity. Of course, carbon offsetting can’t be your only plan for sustainability, but if companies invest in UN-approved CO2 offset projects like reforestation and green power initiatives, it’s a useful tool that can help demonstrate ESG commitments.

Protecting data

Protecting customer data has become ever more important for businesses, thanks to privacy regulations such as GDPR. Making sure that data is handled and wiped in the correct manner has moved up the agenda for businesses, so that sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands. So, in the same way that disposing equipment in a suitable manner is vital, managing and destroying data from these devices in a way that is safe and secure is just as important.

Where once this might have been purely an IT problem, it’s now also a problem for the CFO or other members of the senior leadership team. That’s another reason why choosing the right asset recovery service is so crucial; it ensures that sensitive information is correctly handled and destroyed in line with regulations. Particularly for sectors like financial services and the public sector, this is top of the list.

The future

Data centres will increasingly face regulation and demands for transparency over their energy and water usage. The European Commission is reportedly set to announce a plan to call out and clamp down on data centres’ environmental impact. By 2025, this could see data centres having a ‘label’ which details their energy usage, just like dishwashers and other home appliances do today.

For consumers, buying from sustainable brands is playing an increasing role in purchasing decisions. Across all generations from Baby Boomers to Gen-Z, sustainability is now more important than a brand name when buying a product, according to research. Consumers are increasingly conscious of the ESG credentials of businesses, meaning that organisations cannot afford to have unsustainable practices in their data centres.

Meanwhile, sustainability has become a differentiator in the battle for talent – before people start working at an organisation, they are beginning to evaluate how it treats the environment. That’s a new trend being largely driven by Gen Z, with Bupa research finding that one in three would turn down roles in companies with poor ESG credentials. Sustainability is only going to become more significant for employees, investors and governments, and the importance of data centres and their power consumption will continue to grow.

Going forward, not meeting sustainability targets for a business is going to be almost as bad as not hitting financial targets. This comes in addition to the subsequent effects of climate change itself, with Lenovo’s research finding that 59% of senior executives expect the threats of global warming to have a moderate to severe impact on their business. Yet, although executives recognize these challenges, few have near-term plans in place to address them. Only 33% are taking steps in the next three years to tackle global warming.

Companies need to take a holistic view of the energy consumed by data centres, and how to get a grip on it. It’s an area where vendors, partners and customers will need to work closely together, taking an overview of every part of the journey, from when a server arrives at a data centre to the moment when it’s recycled, upcycled or reused. Everything needs to be measured, monitored and understood. Sustainability is a journey – and for companies which rely on data centres, taking the first step is the most important part.

With health and safety a priority focus for Directors and C-Suite Executives, COVID-19 provided Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) professionals with an opportunity to get a seat at the table. As the aftereffects of COVID continue to wane, EHS professionals face new challenges as economic issues put pressure on businesses to cut costs. In order to keep their seat at the table and maintain momentum and visibility, EHS professionals need to showcase their value, outweighing cost implications, and present innovative solutions.

The end of March saw EHS professionals from some of the biggest names in the tech industry gather for the Antea Group USA’s EHSxTech® one-day event. Hosted by Salesforce, a world-leading CRM supplier, at their newly opened Salesforce Tower in Dublin, the event facilitated a unique opportunity for industry professionals to collaborate and network with their peers, while exploring health and safety (H&S) practices and EHS trends in this rapidly changing industry. 

Developing and Scaling a Culture of Safety  

You can conduct risk assessments, update standard operating procedures, and communicate your latest Health and Safety policy to your teams. But how can you guarantee that the information you’re communicating, designed to protect both people and the environment, is being digested and implemented in all areas of your organization? 

The answer is, you can’t. 

It’s almost impossible to guarantee 100% that your health and safety policy and procedures are being implemented by every member of your organization, whether they are in the office, at home, or at a client’s place of work. How can EHS professionals overcome this? 

Opening the event, our host Michael Flemming, Health & Safety – Director (EMEA & LATAM) Salesforce, outlined the importance of building a health and safety culture that truly integrates and reflects the organization’s culture. By developing an integrated approach, EHS teams can help employees evangelize a health and safety culture. 

“The key,” Michael outlines, “is the approach you take to communicating and engaging with your employees, to build a solid foundation for a culture of active participation in health and safety principles. Often Health and Safety teams are very effective in developing policies and procedures, however, without buy-in from the wider organization, the adoption of these principles can stagnate .”

The need for thoughtful communication was further expanded upon by Karl Huntzicker, VP – Global Health and Safety at Salesforce, “The role of communication and marketing in effective health and safety implementation is crucial. You could have the best EHS program on the market. But if it’s not identifiable, relatable, interesting, and effectively communicated, you won’t earn buy-in, and it won’t be effective.”

There was agreement amongst the group that the Health and Safety narrative needs to fit and integrate with the organization’s narrative to be visible and effective. 

“Visibility is essential to engage employee communities and have an impact. We need to upscale our workforce and promote community care by every individual within the organization. The development of robust health and safety systems must facilitate the accessibility of employees.” – Stephen Lynch, LinkedIn. 

Tackling Legacy Health and Safety  

Developing, implementing, and scaling an effective health and safety culture starts with an assessment of what already exists. For many EHS professionals, tackling historic health and safety legacy issues presents a major challenge in developing new innovative approaches.  

“Post-COVID, EHS is going through a hard reset. This presents an opportunity to review systems and processes, addressing inefficiencies.” – Jim Clifford, Autodesk. 

Rebuilding foundations is expensive, and in the current economic climate, many EHS professionals are feeling the pinch. 

Adding Value with Health and Safety – in an Era of Expense Reduction 

The technology sector flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of the biggest tech giants reporting record-breaking revenue and employee expansion at unprecedented rates.  

Like many organizations across all sectors globally, the technology sector is faced with macroeconomic uncertainty. It is no secret the Tech industry has been hit particularly hard, resulting in scrutiny of EHS performance, budget requirements, and visibility of EHS teams at the board level. Changes are underway in this era of expense reductions and realignment with a post-COVID world. Where businesses may be struggling, there is a temptation to cut costs and operate a minimum compliance program. In order to keep their seat at the table and drive momentum, EHS professionals need to demonstrate how their EHS programs add value to their organization.

EHS teams need to adapt to be more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective, and present new innovative ways of engaging teams in a developing health and safety culture.

“Innovation is key to keeping a seat at the table post-COVID.” – Stephen Lynch, LinkedIn. 

EHS leadership at Salesforce is innovating by reframing Health and Safety as a competitive advantage for the organization. Driving home that Health and Safety is more than just compliance. An effective EHS team and established health and safety culture will:

Drive ProductivityProtect Trust – Both our team and our clients want to know that we are a reliable supplier who provides a safe and secure working environmentEnable Sales and SuccessBuild Resilience – An effective EHS Management System prevents downtimeAttract and Retain Talent

EHS – A Changing Landscape  

Staying ahead of emerging issues remains one of the biggest challenges for EHS managers. Here are some top concerns the group discussed.

Personal Transportation Devices on the rise, presenting very unique risks for EHS managers.ESG and Sustainability are beginning to intersect even more with EHS. As ESG moves from voluntary initiatives to compliance obligations like the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), EHS professionals are finding their roles expanding to accommodate elements of sustainability and engage in these corporate efforts.

We are already planning our next EHSxTech® event, with an aim to move beyond networking and knowledge sharing, to collaborating on the development of best practice principles ahead of regulatory changes. With some of the biggest tech companies present at the event, we have an opportunity to utilize their voice and recognized brands to lead industry change, to the benefit of protecting both people and planet from environmental, health, and safety risks whilst considering sustainability and ESG in our operations. 

Learn more about EHSxTech and how you can get involved here. 

About Antea Group

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world’s most sustainable companies to address ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more at us.anteagroup.com. 

April 17, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The University of Michigan Ross School of Business, a top-ranked global executive education provider, in collaboration with Ceres, a leading nonprofit organization driving equitable solutions to the world’s greatest sustainability challenges, announced a new online executive education program for corporate boards of directors. This strategic partnership with Ceres marks the first Michigan Ross open enrollment executive education program centered on sustainability to address the increasing range of material and financial risks and opportunities that corporate boards face.

Building Board Expertise on Sustainability is a comprehensive online program that brings together business and sustainability experts from Michigan Ross Executive Education, the Erb Institute, Ceres, and other nonprofit leaders to deliver a unique educational experience and provide the essential skills needed by every board member in today’s rapidly evolving board rooms.

The program includes a combination of self-paced online content and live virtual content delivered through the world-class Corp U learning platform at Ross. Ross faculty will partner with Ceres subject matter experts to provide seven weekly course modules of asynchronous virtual and live-virtual learning beginning in September 2023.

“Today, corporate board members are increasingly expected to understand the risks and opportunities of climate and other sustainability issues that impact their own operations and supply chains and the broader capital markets,” said Steven M. Rothstein, Managing Director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets at Ceres. “We are thrilled to partner with Ross and others to offer this unparalleled training that will improve expertise in the boardroom and lead to better business management and performance results.”

“As demand for the prioritization of corporate sustainability initiatives from broadening groups of stakeholders continues to increase, it is imperative we equip board members with the necessary tools and expertise to effectively and proactively address sustainability objectives at the corporate level,” said Izak Duenyas, Associate Dean for Executive Programs at Michigan Ross. “We are pleased to be able to partner with Ceres and bring together world-renowned faculty and leading sustainability experts to deliver this essential program and further advance the Ross mission of building a better world through business.”

The program begins September 18, 2023. Enrollment is now open.

About Michigan Ross 

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a diverse learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today’s dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is building a better world through business. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. 

Michigan Ross is consistently ranked among the world’s leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the Bachelor of Business Administration, Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA (Online and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Business Analytics, Master of Management, Master of Supply Chain Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers programs for individuals and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. For more information, visit MichiganRoss.umich.edu.

About Ceres 

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets is a center of excellence within Ceres that aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies, and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org or ceres.org/accelerator and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Becca Johnson, bjohnson@ceres.org

TOKYO, April 17, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Nearly a quarter of annual electricity consumption at the Nippon Otis Elevator Company (“Nippon Otis”) logistics and engineering center (“NOLEC”) can now be offset by power generated with newly-installed solar panels. Nippon Otis is the Japanese subsidiary of Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service. 

(solar panel installation video available for download here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63iwdiRoFQo)

In 2021, Otis developed its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy and goals, and made a global commitment to achieve those goals. The solar panels, recently installed in the parking lot of NOLEC, covering a total area of 2672.47 m2, are part of that effort. The solar panels will generate electricity to cover approximately 21% of NOLEC’s annual electricity consumption. In addition, with the installation of solar panels, Otis expects to reduce NOLEC’s greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 27% compared to 2022.

“We are pleased to be able to further promote our environmental efforts and carbon footprint reduction with this solar project,” said Nippon Otis President Thibault Lefebure. “We will continue to strengthen these efforts – including the purchase of renewable energy and switching to hybrid and light vehicles – to further reduce our impact on the environment and strive to build a more sustainable future.” 

Nippon Otis will continue to do its part to protect the environment across three areas:  

Factory: HVAC upgrade, LED lighting, solar panel installation
Vehicle: Lease + hybrid and light vehicles/EV scooters
Real Estate: Flexible/remote work arrangements, office footprint reduction

Globally, Otis aims to achieve carbon neutrality for electricity at its factories by 2030, and to reduce its global Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019. For more information on Otis’ ESG initiatives and performance, please refer to its 2022 ESG Report.

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.1 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 68,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.