Strategies to Implement IT Sustainability + Achieve Carbon Neutrality

When you look at the sustainability of an IT product – specifically computing devices – you must think about the three stages – before use, during use, and after use. All these stages must be translated into sustainability features.  

Sustainable Procurement 

Sustainable IT use models are not the only ways that procurement can think about sustainability. You can begin to prioritize sustainability when looking to make IT purchases.  

Most OEMs provide the carbon information of the devices they sell – an assessment that shows the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture of that product (extraction of resources, creation of components) and the day-to-day device usage. 

Procurement departments can use this information to select devices that meet their business needs while maintaining a minimal environmental impact and lowering energy use requirements – the latter saves the business money.  

This simple step may not look like much. Still, for an organization purchasing tens to thousands of devices, it dramatically impacts the overall carbon footprint and creates significant cost savings. Sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive, as we have long imagined. 

Circularity through Compugen’s FutureValue™ Program 

As stated, circularity should start at procuring a computing device and not the end of life. The FutureValue™ program leverages the circular economy principle to help customers save on the upfront costs of new purchases. It gives businesses up to 20 percent discounts on new devices in exchange for giving the devices back to us at the end of use to ensure that the devices are given a second life. 

Through FutureValue™, businesses can access higher-performing technology on a smaller budget. Employees get improved efficiency, productivity, limited downtime from repairs, and reduced security exposure. They get FutureValue credits to use at their discretion, such as offsetting additional Compugen service, hardware, or support costs. 

Circularity through Compugen’s Green4Good Program 

Apart from enjoying discounts on new device purchases, businesses can redirect some of their trade-in revenue (received when they sell back devices to Compugen for disposal) towards good causes in their communities.  

Compugen’s Green4Good program promotes reuse first and responsible recycling second. Customers generate trade-in revenue, which the business can use at their discretion, e.g., inject back into their IT infrastructure or pay it forward to create more positive social/community outcomes.  

In our sustainable asset disposition programs, many customers choose the latter, and Compugen is proud to report that the Green4Good program has made the following impact: 

• Diverted over 1.9M IT assets from landfills, with 92 percent reuse rates 

• Raised over $3.5 M for over 225 charities 

Carbon Neutrality and the CarbonBack Initiative 

Carbon neutrality is a situation where a company offsets all its carbon emissions. They must do it internally first through internal carbon reduction strategies. However, they cannot do it all in-house. Therefore, they acquire carbon credits from projects such as CarbonBank, solar energy farms, and wind farms. 

Compugen is the first IT asset disposition company in the world to create a carbon credits protocol for refurbished and resold IT assets. Companies can use these self-generated credits to achieve carbon neutrality. 

CarbonBank’s unique protocol was developed in collaboration with an environmental impact company and verified by an independent third-party QA company. To date, CarbonBank has developed over 500,000 verified carbon credits. 

By collecting refurbishing and reselling technology, the program eliminates the need for new equipment to be manufactured. Thus carbon emissions associated with the manufacturing of new technology are not incurred, hence provided as a credit to the business. 

Summary: Achieving Sustainable IT Asset Management 

In the concept of the circular economy, companies should implement several strategies to improve eco-sustainability. Take a cue from this list, which details some of HP’s strategies towards IT sustainability: 

• Accelerate device-as-a-service – supplies reuse, hardware as a service, and certified pre-owned hardware 
• Transition to sustainable materials – increase the use of renewable materials and recycled plastic and metals 
• Decarbonize supply chain – drive/support supplier carbon reduction, choose renewable electricity sources, adopt surface transportation, use eco-friendly fuels and electric vehicles for product shipment 
• Design for energy efficiency – design in existing and new energy-efficient product technologies 
• Invest in forests – address the fiber used in printing and packaging by investing in forest restoration and protection 

Compugen embeds sustainability into our IT services and offerings lifecycle in all stages where this is possible.  

Find out how our programs can help you achieve sustainability in IT asset management.