As global headlines focus on the environmental cost of artificial intelligence – from the staggering energy required to train large language models to the carbon-intensive infrastructure powering real-time generative tools – another carbon culprit is quietly humming away in the background: our everyday business technology.
While the AI conversation is timely and necessary, it risks obscuring a broader, equally urgent issue. The reality is that long before AI began soaking up terawatts of electricity, organisations were already contributing to digital carbon emissions through the basic tech that underpins their daily operations. Idle laptops, always-on servers, neglected cloud storage and outdated IT procurement practices all play a significant, and frequently overlooked, role in shaping a company’s environmental impact.
In the race to decarbonise, businesses have become increasingly sophisticated in tackling emissions from travel, energy consumption in buildings and packaging waste. Yet the carbon cost of IT infrastructure remains under the radar for many, despite its growing contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s time we changed that.
The silent emissions of everyday tech
The carbon footprint of IT operations is often invisible, largely because digital tools are so seamlessly embedded into our working lives. But just because something is virtual doesn’t mean it’s impact-free.
A typical laptop left in standby mode overnight might seem harmless, but across an office of hundreds or thousands, the cumulative energy waste is significant. Multiply that by 365 days, and you begin to grasp the scale. Similarly, servers that run continuously, whether or not they’re being actively used, draw power 24/7. Even cloud services, often perceived as more efficient, come with environmental costs: the data centres hosting them require enormous amounts of electricity and cooling, especially when services are left underused or unmanaged.
Research by the International Energy Agency suggests that data centres already account for around 1–1.5% of global electricity demand, and this is expected to grow rapidly with the rise of AI and digital workloads. But for most businesses, it’s not the headline-grabbing compute clusters or hyperscale cloud infrastructures that are the issue. It’s the aggregation of smaller inefficiencies across countless devices, services and user behaviours.
Beyond awareness: changing digital habits
Addressing this challenge doesn’t necessarily require radical reinvention. In fact, the first and most effective step for many organisations is simply changing digital habits.
- Audit before you optimise: Start by understanding what you have. Carry out a comprehensive audit of your IT estate, including hardware, software, subscriptions, server usage and cloud services. Identify devices that are left running when not in use, underutilised virtual machines, redundant software licences and duplicated storage. Without clear visibility, businesses can’t make informed, strategic decisions.
- Switch off and sleep: Encourage staff to power down laptops, monitors and other devices at the end of the day. Activate automated sleep or hibernation settings across devices to ensure minimal energy draw during inactivity. Better still, use remote monitoring and management tools that provide visibility over device usage and enable intelligent automation, helping IT teams reduce unnecessary energy consumption without manual intervention.
- Right-size cloud usage: Cloud services are often sold as scalable and efficient, but without active oversight, many businesses end up paying for unused capacity. Monitor your cloud workloads and decommission anything no longer needed. Consolidate storage, archive older data and delete duplicate files where possible. It’s not just good housekeeping; it’s good environmental stewardship.
- Reduce travel through remote support: In many organisations, IT teams still rely on in-person interventions to diagnose and resolve device issues, particularly across multiple offices or remote sites. Where possible, enabling secure remote support can cut down on unnecessary travel, reduce delays, and enhance overall responsiveness. Tools that allow teams to remotely access, control and troubleshoot user devices can play a key role in lowering operational emissions.
- Modernise infrastructure thoughtfully: Upgrading to newer, energy-efficient devices can reduce emissions, but only when done responsibly. Dispose of old tech through accredited e-waste recycling services and prioritise repair and reuse where appropriate. Shift from a culture of automatic replacement to one of longevity and circular economy principles.
- Embed sustainability in IT procurement: When choosing new tech, assess the sustainability credentials of suppliers and manufacturers. Look for certifications around energy efficiency, recyclable materials and ethical sourcing. Opt for devices with lower power consumption and longer lifecycle support.
- Measure and report: Sustainability isn’t just a matter of conscience – it’s increasingly a regulatory and reputational requirement. Track the energy consumption of your digital estate and factor IT-related emissions into your organisation’s broader ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) reporting. Transparency drives accountability.
From digital transformation to sustainable digital practice
The drive for digital transformation has brought enormous gains in productivity, flexibility and innovation. But it has also introduced new layers of complexity, and with it, new sources of environmental impact.
As we embrace the benefits of automation, AI and hybrid working, we must also recalibrate what sustainability looks like in the digital age. That means recognising that IT is not just an enabler of greener working practices (through paperless offices, virtual meetings and smart systems) – it’s also an area in urgent need of carbon-conscious management in its own right.
The goal isn’t to reverse digital progress but to make it cleaner, smarter and more sustainable. Businesses that align their tech strategies with climate goals will not only reduce their environmental footprint but also lower costs, boost resilience and enhance their brand reputation with customers, partners and employees alike.
Small changes, big impact
It’s easy to point fingers at AI and the large-scale data infrastructure driving it, but we must also look closer to home. The hidden carbon cost of business tech isn’t in some distant server farm or futuristic algorithms – it’s on our desks, in our server rooms and in our inboxes.
Organisations of every size have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to take action. And the good news is that many of the solutions are within reach: simple, practical and cost-effective measures that collectively make a significant difference.
We don’t need to wait for breakthrough technologies or new regulations to get started. By taking stock of our digital habits today, we can make smarter choices tomorrow, and move one step closer to the sustainable future we all want to see.
Al Kingsley MBE
Al Kingsley MBE is CEO of NetSupport. With three decades of experience in EdTech and digital safeguarding, Al regularly speaks and podcasts on the use of technology in enhancing education, promoting online safety, and shaping effective digital strategies.
