"An illustration of a cloud with a dining fork hanging down, white background", image generated with Midjourney and retouched with Photoshop.
I’m writing this post in a Google Drive document on a Chrome browser. My words are instantly saved on a data server somewhere in the World. A bot automatically checks my spelling and underlines my mistakes as I type. In other tabs, emails cumulate into my mailbox, and comments pop under my last LinkedIn post. The information’s flow is smooth, integrated into a global digital ecosystem where all hardware and software play together: the “cloud” and its access points.
The cloud is a well-chosen metaphor for such a versatile worldwide infrastructure. It induces an image of a light, poetic shape floating in the sky. It’s a semantic tour de force for a business that Gartner’s consulting group predicts will weigh 694 billion dollars in 2024. One could also find it ironic, considering that to make the information flow requested by digital services and products possible, we need 600 terawatt-hours of electricity (IEA, 2022; The Shift Project, 2024), equivalent to all the heavy goods vehicles in the world. It does not solely concern digital activities but includes all the hardware produced, from the aluminum casing of our laptops to the extraction of the rare earths used in the electronics of our smartphones to the concrete walls of the data center’s buildings. In addition, the power needed is expected to grow quickly in the coming years. 5G networks and the rise of popular AI-based services like chatGPT are an “energy hog” (Crownhar C., 2024).
More “cloud” signifies more field infrastructure, and Information systems are a dominant vertex in the digital landscape. The shift to data-driven models in business strategy, transforming how organizations operate and make decisions, is encouraged by media groups informed by economics and marketing researchers. Among the abundant literature, Saura et al. (2021) conducted a systematic literature review to “understand the role and use of data science by SMEs (…).” Chatterjee et al. (2021) explore how data-driven strategies enhance companies’ innovation capabilities. Avoiding IS is not an option for operational success.
It is a conundrum: Data are essential for our businesses to thrive, but we also must reduce our CO2 emissions that are intrinsically linked to the augmentation of the infrastructure needed to… get more data. One could argue that digital transformation has a positive indirect effect on energy consumption. Data analysis and AI models can help energy providers create smarter distribution grids. Engineers could invent products that are easier to produce and more sober to operate. However, the actual effects are unclear (Horner et al.,2016; Lange et al., 2020).
The carbon footprint of digital technology concerns the production of devices, the data exchanged, and the building of worldwide network infrastructure. Therefore, addressing information systems’ energy consumption requires a systemic approach that concerns all actors in the value chain (The Shift Project, Lean Networks for Resilients Connected Uses, 2024, p.11).
From a company standpoint, we can act at different levels. We can opt for a cloud infrastructure that runs on renewable energy sources. In selecting devices, we can integrate recyclability, repairability, and lifespan as decisional parameters. By knowing that “80% of software life-cycle costs occur during the maintenance phase”, correcting poor user experiences (Weinschenk et al., 1999b, p.7), we can allocate more resources to products and services design before they go to market. The usability will improve, and users’ greenhouse emissions will lower as they spend less time completing tasks. We can educate people about climate change and energy consumption and reward initiatives that promote information systems’ efficiency at all degrees of usage.
While information systems are central to modern business life, their energy consumption and environmental impact are issues we cannot ignore. Adopting sustainable practices and fostering cultural change by openly raising awareness of IS impact should be integral to any data-driven business.
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Chatterjee, S., Chaudhuri, R., & Vrontis, D. (2021). Does data-driven culture impact innovation and performance of a firm? An empirical examination. Annals of Operations Research, 333(2–3), 601–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-020-03887-z
Data centres & networks - IEA. (n.d.). IEA. https://www.iea.org/energy-system/buildings/data-centres-and-data-transmission-networks
Horner, N. C., Shehabi, A., & Azevedo, I. L. (2016). Known unknowns: indirect energy effects of information and communication technology. Environmental Research Letters, 11(10), 103001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/10/103001
Lange, S., Pohl, J., & Santarius, T. (2020). Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand? Ecological Economics, 176, 106760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106760
Saura, J. R., Palacios-Marqués, D., & Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2021). Digital marketing in SMEs via data-driven strategies: Reviewing the current state of research. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(3), 1278–1313. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2021.1955127
The Shift Project. (2020). Deploying digital sobriety. https://theshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Deploying-digital-sobriety_Summary_Shift-Project_2020.pdf
The Shift Project, BUQUICCHIO, I., COUDREAU, J., DE BANK, M., DURAND, B., EFOUI-HESS, M., EGAL, L., & FERREBOEUF, H. (2024). Energy and climate: What virtual worlds for a sustainable real world? In The Shift Project. https://theshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/The-Shift-Project-What-virtual-worlds-for-a-sustainable-real-world-Final-report-March-2024_ENG.pdf
Varghese, B., & Buyya, R. (2018). Next generation cloud computing: New trends and research directions. Future Generation Computer Systems, 79, 849–861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2017.09.020
Weinschenk, S., Human Factors International, Donahue, G. M., Weinschenk, S., & Nowicki, J. (1999b). Usability: a business case. https://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/whitepapers/business-case.pdf
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