There is an increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of technology, and businesses globally are rightly feeling the pressure from their clients and employees to take action. For most organizations, cloud will be the fastest-growing proportion of their IT estate in terms of planetary impact and there are increasingly alarming reports in the press of the impacts of energy and water usage of data centers. Greening the use of cloud should be an obvious and urgent focus for businesses, an endeavor that is as much about culture, communication and courage as it is about data and dashboards. The good news is that it is a domain where everyone can contribute and where the impact can be swift and tangible. I started life as a linguist when my journey in tech began thirty years ago with a surprisingly small step from French to COBOL. Ever since, I have remained fascinated by the power of language. Technology is full of interesting examples. The term cloud communicates the expandability and freedom of this computing model. However, the reality is not something ephemeral in the sky, but is very physical on the ground, built with data centers, concrete and hardware. Cloud is firmly grounded Most of us working in the technology sector know that the very nature of cloud computing creates a disconnect between virtual workload requirements and the physical aspects of how it is provisioned. Once upon a time, a hosting requirement needed to be architected, sized, procured, built and controlled. It can now be spun up by an engineer writing code on a keyboard in a few clicks. That freedom and flexibility means the associated physical, financial and environmental impacts are less visible. If the environmental impacts of cloud are considered, the reassurances of the hyperscalers who are driving for power efficiency and pushing for renewable energy transitions can be a distraction. Renewable energy has less footprint than fossil fuels, but it doesn’t mean no environmental impact at all, not to mention the other aspects of the data centers delivering cloud: From the embedded carbon to the water consumption From the natural resources going into production of the servers that form the cloud’s beating heart to the increasing impact on the communities where data centers are located. Jevons Paradox While cloud hyperscalers are generally more sustainable than the industry’s older data centers (but not necessarily all on-prem), the rebound effect (otherwise known as the Jevons Paradox) is at play here. In other words, the benefits of cloud — speed, convenience, expandability, individual access, pay as you go — are the very factors that increase its use, driving over-provisioning, lack of governance and federated control. In the IDC Cloud Insights Infobrief 2023 survey, 93% of companies said that they had some level of cloud overspend. The signs are that cloud is not being provisioned efficiently, that the industry is adopting cloud without adapting its strategies, processes and governance to exploit the flexibility that it offers. This is resulting in unused resources, ramping up unnecessary cost and environmental footprint. Staggering growth ahead Unless the practice of inefficient cloud provisioning is addressed, this unnecessary environmental footprint is set to increase. With AI driving exponential increases in computational power (according to OpenAI, demand is doubling every 3.4 months) and the benefits of cloud universally driving cloud-first strategies, the predicted growth of the cloud market is staggering. According to industry analyst Precedence Research, the market will rise to over $935 billion in 2032 from $80 billion in 2022. The growth of cloud is inevitable, but how it is implemented is in the hands of businesses and the technology sector in particular. As technology unlocks opportunities for us to modernize and innovate, it also brings its own challenges for society to face. As IT professionals, it is incumbent on us to ensure adoption is done in a controlled, efficient and mindful manner. Implementing a GreenOps strategy is a good place to start. GreenOps is all about integrating sustainable practices into operational processes. It focuses on efficiency and innovation working alongside FinOps principles to drive down environmental impacts for more sustainable cloud use. There are significant benefits in doing so: Cloud’s flexibility means easy and immediate gains are achievable. If you are working on reducing your overall IT footprint, cloud is a great place to start. Wherever you reduce your cloud consumption, you will also achieve cost savings. Cloud consumption is rising as its capabilities as a technology expand. Taking steps now will place you in good stead for the future. Workforces are increasingly demanding that the organizations they work for prioritize sustainability; in doing so, organizations will compete more effectively in the skills market. Cloud is a powerful enabler for transformation and making environmental impact part of the overall business case allows the overall net environmental benefit to be measured and optimized. Given the democratization of cloud computing, with large parts of the engineering and delivery teams able to access it, a GreenOps strategy can only be successful if it addresses the human aspects of the challenge that come from adoption. Here are some key pillars of success: Leadership – Implementing a strategy for efficient and sustainable cloud use requires an organization to: Make this a priority. Set out its intent and purpose. Sponsor the broad-reaching changes needed to implement it. This must permeate the organization’s leadership and fit holistically into its wider sustainability strategy. Look beyond cloud at the role it plays in achieving wider business outcomes in a sustainable way. Governance and culture changes – The shift from infrastructure and waterfall to cloud and agile requires a shift in the way teams work and collaborate, and how they are measured and motivated. It requires finding the balance between autonomy and control. The shift to cloud has happened at such a pace that traditional structures are still being supported while new ones are being developed and organizations have to work to arrive at an optimal operating model to maintain and balance the two. Data – Obtaining accurate Scope 3 emission data is notoriously problematic, and cloud is no different. Get started with what you do have access to while you keep working to build the rest (including demanding it of your supply chain). Prioritize two objectives: transparency and insight. Transparency will drive integrity and underpin the fundamental purpose of sustainable cloud use. Insights will facilitate prioritization of the most impactful action, support sustainable decisions and motivate teams through visualization. Best practices – Success will depend on putting efficient use of cloud at the heart of many practices across the organization, from architectural principles to system design and development, through to ongoing resource management. Investment, collaboration and celebrating success will all contribute. Supply chain relationships – Leverage the supply chain for maximum impact: Encourage collaboration for success. Understand what your suppliers’ initiatives are and how you can make them count. Consider how to leverage your procurements for accountability and impact. GreenOps: The future is ours to sustain If you want to find out more about how to define and implement a GreenOps strategy, you can connect with me for an introduction to the Eviden GreenOps team. Also learn more about the Eviden’s digital sustainability portfolio and how it is focused on equipping organizations to make this journey seamless.