{"id":33685,"date":"2024-05-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cloudinary.com\/blog\/?p=33685"},"modified":"2024-08-01T21:28:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T04:28:19","slug":"going-green-in-2024-sustainable-tech-trends-for-lowering-your-tech-stacks-carbon-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloudinary.com\/blog\/going-green-in-2024-sustainable-tech-trends-for-lowering-your-tech-stacks-carbon-footprint","title":{"rendered":"2024 Sustainable Tech Trends: Lower Your Carbon Footprint and Appeal to Eco-Conscious Consumers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Modern consumers (especially Gen Z<\/a>) want the brands they support to adopt eco-conscious business practices. That doesn\u2019t just mean using eco-friendly packaging or delivering with lower emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn how to adapt to increasing consumer demands for responsible environmental practices and lower your tech stack\u2019s carbon footprint with the sustainable tech trends that can help you go greener in 2024 and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Your Tech Stack Negatively Impacting the Planet?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It seems strange that the (seemingly) incorporeal internet could affect global warming. The reality is that every cloud computation, search query, image load, and video stream demands energy, and generating that energy emits more<\/em> CO\u2082<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a report by The Shift Project<\/a>, it\u2019s estimated that tech contributes 2.3 to 3.7% of global CO\u2082 emissions<\/a> (the equivalent to the aviation industry\u2019s total emissions).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the ethically questionable way the resources are extracted and manufactured to the energy consumption from billions of people using the tech simultaneously, adopting sustainable technologies is crucial to the health of a company and our future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology That Lowers CO\u2082 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even though the digital CO\u2082 footprint contributes to climate change, using sustainable technology can be an ally in reducing its carbon footprint. Insight from Gartner helps describe what \u201cSustainable Technology\u201d is<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cA framework of solutions that increases the energy and efficiency of IT services; enables enterprise sustainability through technologies like <\/em>traceability<\/em><\/a>, analytics, emissions management software and AI; and helps customers achieve their own sustainability objectives.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, the following outlines some green technologies and software advancements that help lower carbon footprints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar and Wind Power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The bulk of tech\u2019s CO\u2082 emissions<\/a> come from the energy necessary to power the technology. One of the best methods for reversing climate change in all sectors is to draw that  energy from clean sources like solar and wind power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From personal residents to massive commercial enterprises, solar adoption is growing at an inspiringly rapid pace. The EIA estimates that<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cSolar power generation will grow 75% from 163 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2023 to 286 billion kWh in 2025. We expect that wind power generation will grow 11% from 430 billion kWh in 2023 to 476 billion kWh in 2025.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Changing how they power technology is one of the first ways businesses can control their carbon footprint. With federal and state incentive programs<\/a>, it\u2019s also one of the most accessible and economical methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green Coding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Green coding is a computing approach that helps lower an organization\u2019s emission generation by decreasing the energy necessary to process lines of code. According to IBM, the benefits of green coding are ideal for \u201chigh-intensity operations\u201d<\/a> like data centers and manufacturing \u2013 any industry can benefit from finding ways to lower CO\u2082 emissions throughout daily processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supply Chain Traceability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Traceability is a company\u2019s ability to monitor and trace the journey of product or substance components through the supply chain, in both the processing and discrete manufacturing industries. Tech Target indicates that many industries (like packaged food and pharmaceuticals)<\/a> are mandated (both nationally and globally) to use traceability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supply Chain Traceability:<\/p>\n\n\n\n