Regenerative IT: Paving the way for sustainable technology and environmental stewardship

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems destined to play a dual role in sustainability. On the one hand, it can help reduce the effects of the climate crisis by aiding in smart grid design, developing low-emission infrastructure and modeling climate change predictions. On the other hand, AI is itself a significant emitter of carbon.

It is estimated that the carbon footprint of training a single AI large language model (LLM) is equal to around 300,000 kg of carbon dioxide emissions. For help visualizing this, it’s about the equivalent of 125 round-trip flights between New York and Beijing. One of the main problems of sustainable IT is reducing AI’s climate impact. The key is to quantify its energy consumption and carbon emissions, and to make this information transparent among corporations and consumers.

Below, we will explore other factors contributing to the environmental impact of IT.

Economic models and approaches

Let’s examine a few different economic models and address how resources are used and disposed of in each of them: 

• Linear economy
  Today’s dominant economic model can be summed up as "take, make, dispose." It consists of extracting resources, using them to make products, then discarding them as waste. The linear economy is a one-way trip, and has been the primary economic model for several centuries — including most of the 20th century.
• Circular economy
  One alternative to the linear economy model is the circular economy, which favors closed-loop systems and a “reduce, reuse, recycle, recover” approach in an effort to minimize waste and pollution. To keep products and materials in use for as long as possible, they are designed to be durable, reusable and recyclable.
• Regenerative economy
  Going beyond the circular economy and moving away from business models based on resource extraction, the regenerative economy model is designed to make a net positive contribution. This holistic model focuses on restoring natural resources and promoting social well-being. For example, regenerative farming practices can improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, instead of depleting soil and emitting CO2.

Regenerative approaches and best practices for sustainable IT

Given the formidable environmental and ecological challenges we face, developing sustainable IT solutions and best practices is critical. They must address technical, environmental and social issues, while shifting the paradigm of how we understand and interact with digital ecosystems.

As an added benefit, businesses can become climate positive, nature positive, socially and economically positive by moving beyond the narrow focus on reducing CO2 emissions. Here are some of the steps required to make a regenerative IT approach a reality:

Lifecycle assessment and monitoring  

• By conducting a lifecycle analysis (LCA) of IT products to understand their environmental impact from manufacturing to disposal, enterprise can use this data to design more sustainable products and processes.
• Continuous environmental impact monitoring the of IT operations (such as energy use and e-waste generation) can identify areas for improvement and enable businesses to implement corrective measures.

Regenerative software development

• Companies can create energy-efficient software by implementing code optimization They reduce the processing power required to run enterprise software, lowering the energy usage of computing devices. Lean coding principles can also minimize the number of processors needed to deliver the required application performance, which reduces e-waste and carbon emissions.
• So-called green algorithms require less computational power or run on energy-efficient hardware is an effective way to reduce the environmental footprint of large-scale data processing tasks.

Regenerative hardware design

• Implementing recycling and e-waste management programs for old electronics ensures that components are reused, recycled or safely disposed of. By working with e-waste recyclers, enterprises can prevent electronic waste from ending up in landfills.
• Extending the life of hardware through refurbishing and upcycling encourages reuse rather than frequent replacement. In fact, recent research by Atos found that device lifespans can be doubled without impacting user satisfaction, reducing the need for raw material extraction and manufacturing.
• IT products should be designed for longevity — with durability, repairability and recyclability as key priorities. Device manufacturers should adopt modular designs to allow for easy repairs and upgrades that extend product lifecycles.

Regenerative data management and optimization

• Data center consolidation can be accomplished by moving to more efficient cloud-based infrastructure or virtualized environments, enabling an enterprise to reduce the number of physical data centers.
• Adopting data minimization practices is a way to eliminate redundant or unnecessary data storage, reducing the need for energy-intensive data storage hardware.
• Using edge computing to process data closer to its source can reduce energy consumption and minimize the environmental impact of centralized data centers.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy  

• Making the transition to power your IT infrastructure with renewable energy sources like solar, wind and hydroelectric power lowers the enterprise carbon footprint and reduces reliance on fossil fuels.
• Choose green cloud computing service providers that have demonstrated a commitment to using renewable energy for a lower environmental impact.

User behavior and sustainable IT adoption

• Promote and incentivize energy-saving behaviors among employees and users. These include powering down devices when not in use, optimizing device configurations for energy efficiency and reducing screen brightness.
• One of my colleagues wrote a blog article about the carbon impact of remote work and virtual meetings. They cited a study that showed how remote or hybrid working and virtual collaboration can reduce the environmental impacts of commuting and business travel.

What does the future hold for sustainable technology?

Creating sustainable IT starts with assessing our relationship with information and communication technologies, then guiding their development in a way that prioritizes the well-being of both people and the planet. The first step could simply be to embrace a slower pace of technological progress. Only then can we align with natural cycles and move away from profit-driven expansion.

Whatever the exact path to more sustainable technology, we must change our mindset to value harmony with the world around us over profit and convenience.

Posted on: December 10, 2024