- Nine out of ten IT managers in the UK see sustainability as a growing business priority.
- Two out of three people worry that rising costs will put pressure on them to do sustainability work.
- The upcoming sustainability reports can help you make more informed decisions
Limited budgets are hindering progress on sustainability, according to a new report from Flexera discovered shortly after COP30.
The majority (93%) of UK IT leaders say they see sustainability as a growing business priority, but face barriers in their technology that typically prevent them from being more environmentally friendly.
For example, two out of three respondents (68%) are concerned that rising cloud costs will constrain their budgets. Half (48%) also say they feel overwhelmed by the amount of cost and usage data they receive.
Is sustainability too expensive for business?
Cloud services, artificial intelligence and other services related to data centers around the world are already under scrutiny for their consumption of energy and other resources, such as water for cooling. High emissions are also a major problem for the sector and although efficiency improvements aim to address this problem to some extent, growing demand is outstripping these improvements.
The UK’s upcoming sustainability reporting standards, due to be introduced in 2026, may require more detailed reporting on climate risks, energy use and emissions. Ultimately, greater transparency can help IT leaders make more informed decisions.
“Today, IT leaders are faced with mounting bills and data that doesn’t provide a clear picture,” said Marlon Oliver, senior vice president EMEA at Flexera.
As UK companies are expected to face new reporting requirements, they will be forced to consider the footprint of technology activities outside of Scope 1, i.e. domestic emissions.
While reporting alone will not solve the growing cost crisis, greater transparency and reporting will at least help IT leaders make more informed decisions about which partners to choose.
“Without full visibility into the costs, consumption and emissions of their technology assets, companies cannot clearly demonstrate whether investments in cloud and AI are improving or undermining their climate goals,” concluded Oliver.