🇳🇴 Braathe: Sustainable IT procurement: A guide

1. Define your sustainability goals before you start

Before you start making purchases, it is important to define precisely which sustainability goals you place highest in your company. What do you want to achieve? This can include goals to reduce climate impact, minimize waste, support local suppliers, or achieve certifications that confirm the work you do.

We have done this work and have selected four sustainability goals that are particularly important to us. We actively work with and measure these every year. There are many other goals on the list, and not all of them are relevant for your company. Therefore, make sure you read up and look at which ones are current and relevant to you.

Maybe our goals suit your company? Here are the goals we focus on:

Sustainability goal 5: Equality between the sexes

Gender equality is not just about gender equality, but also about equal opportunities for all, regardless of socio-economic background. Political, economic and social equality between the sexes contributes to a positive development at all levels, and is therefore a recurring theme in the UN’s sustainability goals and for us.

Sustainability Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

Fair economic growth and new jobs are needed to combat world inequality. Of course, this is also important to us, as it ensures the emergence of new forces and is highly contributing to a healthy working life.

Sustainability goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

Norwegian companies have a lot to go on when it comes to circular economy and innovative solutions. By investing in environmentally friendly technology, working with innovative solutions that reduce the amount of consumer waste and exploring new business opportunities, we also lean into this work.

Sustainability goal 13: Stop climate change

We must act immediately to combat climate change and its consequences. It is largely about stopping or reversing the major climate changes that are here today and that are predicted for the future. Companies have a great responsibility for their own CO2 emissions. By investing in renewable energy, we are at the forefront of the job of achieving the goal of slowing down climate change.

If you want to read more about our sustainability work, you can see here.

2. Be conscious when you go out to buy

Being aware precludes the ability to act quickly. Purchasing is a job we recommend setting aside some time for. Why? Because then you have time to look at what options you have. With us, our suppliers are carefully selected. And we demand that they work actively with their sustainability goals. We want all our services, regardless of provider, to be as green as possible.

When purchasing new IT equipment, software or services, consider suppliers that offer environmentally friendly options. This can include energy-efficient computers, recycled materials and services that help reduce climate impact. Also look at what happens to the equipment when you are done with it. This is a step many people forget.

Updating the PC fleet can be very necessary, but what do you do with the old equipment? If you buy through an IT supplier like us, we make sure that this step is handled. Together with our partners, we give the equipment a new life. Either through deleting all data and rebooting the equipment for the next person or through sharing machines that can keep other equipment alive. We do this every time you finish the equipment. Want to read more about it? Check this page here.

3. Renewable energy

Have you considered that your supplier can do many things for you? Only with renewable energy for your servers can you reduce your company’s carbon footprint. We have a conscious relationship with this for many reasons, but we quickly realized that when data generates so much heat, we could make a real move right under our office. Thanks to Nærum farm, which is our head office, and the large fields there, we could dig into the ground and cool the servers with ground cooling. This facility ensures that our servers are looked after 24/7.

Since we have offices all over Norway, not everyone can use our ground cooling system. That is why we have taken an extra measure. Through Fjordkraft, we buy 100% renewable energy. Our consumption therefore comes from clean hydropower produced at Norwegian hydropower plants.

Not only can you imitate us, but you can also source suppliers who have made such choices. Make sure that the IT services and suppliers you choose use renewable energy.

Sustainable IT purchases make a difference

Sustainable IT procurement is not only good for the environment, it can also be profitable and strengthen your reputation. When Norwegian companies take steps to make sustainable IT purchases, they contribute to a more sustainable future. Remember that sustainable procurement is a process that develops over time, and every step in the right direction is a step closer to a more sustainable future. So don’t rush. Take your time and make smart choices!

Do you want help with where to start? Our customer advisors have full control over which services you can use quickly to reduce your footprint. Contact them here.

Want to read more tips? We recommend these articles:

• Sustainable measures you can take
• What consequences can a data attack have for you?
• Why digitization is a win-win for you

Originally published on 19 January by Braathe.

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