Sustainable computing initiatives are top of mind for organisations as they aim to discover innovative ways to reach their net zero goals . Carlo Ruiz , Senior Director , Data Centre Solutions EMEA , NVIDIA , explores the necessity of prioritising sustainable computing before it ’ s too late and highlights how today ’ s technology can propel us towards a greener future if used correctly .

echnology users always want the best . Maximum

Sustainable computing , or green computing , is the practice of maximising energy efficiency , reducing impact on the environment with a goal to reach net zero , and delivering the most work for the least energy by optimising the design , manufacture and use of computer chips , systems and software .

This concept spans the entire supply chain , from the raw materials used to make hardware to how systems are recycled .

The crunch point

Today , the world is confronted with a climate crisis .

Over the last 40 years , economic losses caused by climate-related extremes in EU member states are estimated at € 560 billion , according to the European Environment Agency .

The Earth ’ s temperatures have risen by more than 1 ° C since the late 1800s and sea levels have risen by almost 20cm in the last century .

Global electricity consumption increases by approximately 3.4 % every year . Data centres only account for a small percentage – around 2 % – of the 26,000 terawatt-hours consumed in 2022 , but that percentage could rise as high as 8 % by 2030 .

Climate change – whether today or in 40 years – is approaching a crunch point and it will take colossal effort from every industry to undo humanity ’ s impact on the Earth ’ s environment .

As technology advances and the energy it consumes grows , sustainable computing is crucial in our global efforts to stop the damage caused to our environment when applied to everything from the mobile phones in our pockets , to data centres on-premise or in the cloud .

Globally , energy production is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions . Data centres represent a small fraction of total electricity use , but in a world where temperatures are rising , every contributing factor needs attention .

To reach net zero sustainability , sustainable computing initiatives must source carbon-neutral energy . Lack of control over where their power is generated is a major challenge for existing data centres with a target of carbon neutrality . By using energy supplied by the national grid , the power supplied is often in part generated from burning fossil fuels .

Powerful , energy-efficient computers and process-optimised workflows are part of

68 www . intelligentdatacentres . com