Summary Bullets:

• Colt research finds UK CIOs behind the curve on having a multi-year plan to minimize their companies’ environmental impact, despite 71% of CIOs having this responsibility.
• There has been a broad softening of sustainability targets, but service providers lead the way in facilitating reduced emissions, even despite the impact of AI.

Colt Technology Services has conducted a study as part of its annual ‘Digital Infrastructure Report,’ surveying 1,500 CIOs across 10 countries worldwide. Surprisingly, the survey found that only 18% of UK businesses that responded ‘have a multi-year plan to minimize their environmental impact.’ Leading countries were the Netherlands (42%) and Hong Kong (41%).

Responsibility for enterprises’ environmental strategies is found to be likely to sit with CIOs, with 71% of those surveyed saying they have a direct role in shaping or having responsibility for sustainability strategies. The research also found that artificial intelligence (AI) is, unsurprisingly, top of mind, with 42% of respondents highlighting the positive contribution AI makes toward achieving environmental impacts and governance strategies. Ironically, it might even be the impact of AI on CIOs’ daily lives, which has shifted attention from sustainability goals: Today’s priorities tend to trump long-term ambitions.

These findings are mixed. On the plus side, it is good news that so many CIOs are so involved in delivering sustainability targets, but the fact that they lack multi-year plans indicates that, although sustainability targets are often set for future dates, achieving the necessary emissions reductions may remain ad hoc and opportunistic. The problem is that the ‘low-hanging fruit’ will already have been harvested, but long-term plans are vital to achieving the ultimate reductions targets expected by many key stakeholders including customers, investors, and talent.

This is where the technology service providers come in. All the most prestigious players serving the most advanced enterprises lead by example and offer tools for insight into emissions reporting – and even active management for optimum greenhouse gas efficiency. It also doesn’t help when hyperscalers hype up their ‘green’ credentials and then admit that their greenhouse gas emissions are rocketing because of the demands of AI. Some argue that this means they will double down on their sustainability efforts, and the sudden embrace of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plants may be an indication of this.

The problem may lie with the growing backlash against ‘the green agenda’ that is evidenced by some high-profile investors and politicians, as well as a retreat from their original goals by some enterprises that had previously pioneered emissions reductions – driven in part by pragmatism and the fact that enterprises’ first duty is to their shareholders. Nevertheless, analysis proves that sustainability commitment is good for corporations’ profitability in the long run.

With Conference of the Parties/COP 29 imminent in Baku (Azerbaijan), but looking considerably less well-attended than previous COP events, the issue of AI and sustainability should feature prominently. If not, we can conclude that the drive toward minimizing the impact of global warming is at a critical – and worrying – juncture.