The United Nations-backed Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) launched a campaign with 1,045 companies participating in June 2019 to help limit the long-term, global average increase in the Earths surface temperature to 1.5C.According to a report published by the SBTi last year, charting the progress made towards achieving the 1.5C goal, 239 of the original participants were removed on 7 March 2024 for failing to meet deadlines conducive to hitting their net-zero goals.Accentures Destination net zero report, published in November 2024, says companies across all industries are making meaningful progress towards their net-zero goals, but progress is not fast enough.As once distant climate targets become near-term business priorities, only a small percentage of the worlds largest companies are on track to realise net zero by [the] mid-century, the report states.And there are several reasons why companies are finding it difficult to hit their net-zero goals, it seems.Economic pressure is a major one, with green IT initiatives and sustainability strategies often falling victim to cuts when times get tough within companies, says Shane Herath, chair of the Eco-Friendly Web Alliance.Economic uncertainty in 2024 posed a serious challenge for sustainability efforts across industries, he says. Initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact were sometimes postponed or scaled back, viewed as cost centres rather than investments.And, when times are tough, company stakeholders and shareholders will be looking to prioritise spend that delivers short-term financial gains and tangible benefits, which is not always true of sustainability-focused investments.Carmen Ene, CEO of sustainable technology lifecycle management service provider BNP Paribas 3 Step IT, says companies across the world also deprioritised working towards their net-zero goals in 2024 because of political pressure. Sustainability and profitability arent at odds they are powerful partners Carmen Ene, BNP Paribas 3 Step ITIn some parts of the world, politicians have weaponised action on the environment, pedalling the misconception that sustainability is expensive, burdensome, and a threat to affordability and prosperity, she says.Amidst a cost-of-living crisis and rising global energy prices, this has resonated, weakening support for a swift end to fossil fuels.As a result, she says it is not surprising that some businesses have become more hesitant to embrace IT sustainability and have even rowed back on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets.[They are] wary of the complexities of sustainability reporting, the perceived cost of implementing green solutions, and the impact on competitiveness, she says.However, research shows that companies that embrace sustainability significantly outperform their less environmentally friendly competitors, and are more efficient too, says Ene.Its time to shift the focus from the perceived costs and complexities of sustainability to the immense opportunities and tangible advantages it presents, not just for the planet but also for businesses and the economy, she says.Lets reframe the climate discussion and tell a more persuasive story about the measurable wins we can achieve, like jobs, new partnerships, business growth, resilience and innovation.She adds: Sustainability and profitability arent at odds they are powerful partners.On this point, Herath agrees, and says senior leaders need to realise that investing in IT sustainability initiatives has long-term benefits for companies, particularly when it comes to creating efficiencies, cultivating a favourable reputation, and generating more business later on.Companies that integrated sustainability into their business models demonstrated the financial and operational benefits of going green, he says.And there are myriad ways that companies can achieve this from a technology perspective, he adds.Investing in energy-efficient hardware, cloud services powered by renewables and smarter data management systems are actionable steps that can deliver measurable results, suggests Herath.Collaborating across departments to align sustainability goals will also be critical, especially in areas like procurement and product lifecycle management. Investing in energy-efficient hardware, cloud services powered by renewables and smarter data management systems are actionable steps that can deliver measurable results Shane Herath, Eco-Friendly Web AllianceRich Gibbons, head of IT asset management, and Stephen Old, head of FinOps, at consultancy Synyega, suggest some tech-focused steps enterprises can take to reduce their environmental footprint.For instance, they recommend that enterprises regularly do a stock-take of the technology providers that make up their supply chains, to ensure they are only working with suppliers that prioritise sustainability.In a similar vein, the pair also advise enterprises to carry out regular assessments of the software and hardware assets that make up their IT estate to ensure none are using up unnecessary amounts of compute resources, in the form of unused cloud instances, for example.The way organisations acquire, use and dispose of all technologies including software and hardware contributes to good sustainability practices, say Gibbons and Old.On-premise datacentres are full of servers, storage and networking equipment, while users across an organisation account for hundreds and thousands of laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets and more. All of these have a carbon footprint throughout the lifecycle of creation, use and disposal.With this in mind, companies should also look to implement a circular economy model in IT operations by focusing on reusing, refurbishing, remanufacturing and recycling IT assets to extend their lifecycle and reduce waste, the pair add.Technology giants Google and Microsoft are examples of companies that have faced difficulties in balancing their climate commitments with business growth, with both posting sustainability reports in 2024 that showed their carbon emissions going up, rather than down.As reported by Computer Weekly at the time, keeping up with the growing enterprise demand for cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) services was cited as a factor in both cases.Microsofts May 2024 environmental sustainability report revealed that, despite pledging to become a carbon-negative entity by 2030, the companys greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2023 were 29.1% higher than its 2020 baseline.The report attributed this rise to a 30.9% increase in the companys indirect Scope 3 emissions, generated in part by Microsofts efforts to expand its global datacentre footprint.Googles sustainability report, published in July 2024, cited an increase in datacentre energy consumption as a factor in why its 2023 GHG emissions were up 13% on the previous year.Gartner vice-president analyst Bob Johnson highlights various pressures the exponential demand for AI services from enterprises is putting on the hyperscalers datacentres and wider sustainability strategies.Gartners data shows, for example, that by 2027, 40% of AI datacentres will face operational constraints due to power shortages, because the amount of electricity consumed by these facilities is set to soar by 160% within the next three years.Such a surge threatens to overwhelm utility providers, disrupt energy availability and undermine sustainability goals as fossil fuel plants remain in operation to keep up with demand, says Johnson.The insatiable energy appetite of hyperscale datacentres is outstripping the ability of power grids to cope [because] AI models require immense computational power for training and operations, making 24/7 energy availability essential, he says.The strain on energy grids [this situation is creating] is having a knock-on effect on sustainability goals. In the short term, many datacentres will need to rely on fossil fuels, increasing their carbon footprints and delaying forward progress toward net-zero targets.That said, there are actions the hyperscalers and other enterprises can take now that could mitigate some of these impacts, until the availability of renewable energy to power AI workloads increases, for example.Balancing the deployment of energy-intensive GenAI [generative artificial intelligence] applications with environmental responsibility requires innovative approaches, such as adopting smaller language models, leveraging edge computing and collaborating with datacentre providers to optimise energy use, says Johnson.Organisations must prioritise efficiency in AI workloads, re-evaluate sustainability goals, and actively support the development of greener energy alternatives like clean hydrogen and small nuclear reactors, he adds.As the demands of GenAI reshape the global energy landscape, success will require more than just technological prowess. It will demand foresight, collaboration and a willingness to innovate sustainably.And where the wider technology community is concerned, BNP Paribas 3 Step ITs Ene says the responsibility is now on them to ensure that the roadblocks to sustainability that emerged in 2024 do not become more obstructive, and cause more enterprises to turn their backs on sustainability and circular IT.It will be up to savvy tech providers to keep championing the cause and clearly highlighting the full spectrum of business benefits sustainable business models can deliver operational, financial, reputational and beyond, she says.For me, [2025] is about making sure everyone is onboard our people, partners and customers to understand just how powerful a circular economy for technology can be in helping organisations remain competitive with the latest technology while managing legacy tech in a way that recoups its value and minimises its environmental impact, she continues.We can only foster a shared understanding of its transformative potential by engaging in open and transparent dialogue about the challenges and opportunities sustainability can create. If organisations are armed with the information, evidence and tools to make the case for sustainable investment, positive change will certainly be on the horizon.Read more about IT sustainabilityHow to use data center wind turbines for sustainable energy: Wind power is a promising way for data centers to cut carbon footprints. Despite challenges, evolving technology offers efficient turbines for substantial electricity generation.Cisco aims for better AI power consumption: At Cisco Live EMEA in Amsterdam, Cisco execs shared their thoughts on the developing issues around how artificial intelligence is affecting datacentre power consumption.