CTG Join our team Why CTG Back
Why CTG

We collaborate with clients to enhance digital agility, solving today's problems while preparing for future shifts.

Learn more

About Us

Delve into the values, mission, and vision that drive our company.

Partners

Explore our tech and industry partners, who amplify the value we provide.

CTG, a Cegeka Company

Learn more about our parent company, Cegeka, a global IT provider.

Corporate Responsibility

Read more about our commitment to being a good corporate citizen.

Culture

Discover the workplace culture we've built that makes CTG a great place to work.

Careers

Check out our employee benefits and start your career journey with CTG.

Learn More

Our Locations

Leadership Team

Company News

Events

Solutions Back

Applications

Empowering businesses with modern, scalable, efficient apps.

Cloud

Supporting all phases of your cloud journey.

Advisory

Combining industry and tech expertise to align technology with business needs.

Data

Enabling data-driven decision making and increased efficiency.

Service Desk

Providing 24x7 support with an exceptional end-user experience.

Talent

Rapidly delivering IT and business talent to accelerate digital initiatives.

Automation and AI

Leveraging tech to increase efficiency, lower costs, and empower employees.

Infrastructure

Laying the groundwork for a successful digital organization.

Business Solutions

Offering Cegeka's MS Dynamics 365 solutions for pharma and life sciences.

Testing

Ensuring the quality and reliability of enterprise software.

Cybersecurity

Enhancing the cyber resilience of your organization.

Industries Back

Healthcare

Addressing IT and operations challenges to enable organizations to better serve patients and members

Finance and Insurance

Meeting the industry's needs for enhanced efficiency, automation, compliance, and customer experiences.

Energy

Empowering energy organizations to thrive with data-driven insights and process innovation.

Logistics and Transportation

Re-engineering supply chains to create enhanced agility, visibility, and efficiency to meet growing demands.

Manufacturing

Enabling seamless, efficient operations and increased speed to market with enterprise apps.

Pharma and Life Sciences

Offering Cegeka's Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions to navigate industry and regulatory challenges.

Government

Modernizing operations to improve citizen engagement and service delivery for all levels of government.

Insights Back
Insights

We're thrilled to share our insights and expertise with you. Learn about industry trends, how to navigate common challenges, client success stories, and more.

Case Studies

Learn how we collaborate with clients to ensure their success.

Videos

Explore videos about CTG’s solutions, client testimonials, and more.

Blogs

Read blogs about tech, innovation, business, employees, and more.

News

View company news and insights from our experts in top publications.

Resources

View e-books, white papers, guides, infographics, and more.

Webinars

Learn from our experts, based on real-world experience across industries.

Contact us
CTG Why CTG
Why CTG

We collaborate with clients to enhance digital agility, solving today's problems while preparing for future shifts.

Learn more

About Us

Delve into the values, mission, and vision that drive our company.

Partners

Explore our tech and industry partners, who amplify the value we provide.

CTG, a Cegeka Company

Learn more about our parent company, Cegeka, a global IT provider.

Corporate Responsibility

Read more about our commitment to being a good corporate citizen.

Culture

Discover the workplace culture we've built that makes CTG a great place to work.

Careers

Check out our employee benefits and start your career journey with CTG.

Learn More

Our Locations

Leadership Team

Company News

Events

Solutions

Applications

Empowering businesses with modern, scalable, efficient apps.

Cloud

Supporting all phases of your cloud journey.

Advisory

Combining industry and tech expertise to align technology with business needs.

Data

Enabling data-driven decision making and increased efficiency.

Service Desk

Providing 24x7 support with an exceptional end-user experience.

Talent

Rapidly delivering IT and business talent to accelerate digital initiatives.

Automation and AI

Leveraging tech to increase efficiency, lower costs, and empower employees.

Infrastructure

Laying the groundwork for a successful digital organization.

Business Solutions

Offering Cegeka's MS Dynamics 365 solutions for pharma and life sciences.

Testing

Ensuring the quality and reliability of enterprise software.

Cybersecurity

Enhancing the cyber resilience of your organization.

Industries

Healthcare

Addressing IT and operations challenges to enable organizations to better serve patients and members

Finance and Insurance

Meeting the industry's needs for enhanced efficiency, automation, compliance, and customer experiences.

Energy

Empowering energy organizations to thrive with data-driven insights and process innovation.

Logistics and Transportation

Re-engineering supply chains to create enhanced agility, visibility, and efficiency to meet growing demands.

Manufacturing

Enabling seamless, efficient operations and increased speed to market with enterprise apps.

Pharma and Life Sciences

Offering Cegeka's Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions to navigate industry and regulatory challenges.

Government

Modernizing operations to improve citizen engagement and service delivery for all levels of government.

Insights
Insights

We're thrilled to share our insights and expertise with you. Learn about industry trends, how to navigate common challenges, client success stories, and more.

Case Studies

Learn how we collaborate with clients to ensure their success.

Videos

Explore videos about CTG’s solutions, client testimonials, and more.

Blogs

Read blogs about tech, innovation, business, employees, and more.

News

View company news and insights from our experts in top publications.

Resources

View e-books, white papers, guides, infographics, and more.

Webinars

Learn from our experts, based on real-world experience across industries.

Join our team Contact us
Home Blogs Blogs Building a Sustainable Future with Green Cloud Computing
Cloud
Cloud Migration
3 minutes reading

Building a Sustainable Future with Green Cloud Computing

Joseph Esdale

Joseph Esdale

November 23, 2023

Cloud computing is rapidly transforming the business world thanks to faster operations, cost savings, and easier collaboration. Yet here’s something not everyone knows – it’s also pretty good for the environment. 

Sustainability and carbon footprint reduction have become priorities for companies worldwide. Businesses are adopting environmentally friendly approaches thanks to cost savings and increasing awareness of climate change and resource depletion. Sustainability efforts improve a company’s brand value and generate cost savings by enhancing energy efficiency, reducing waste, and optimizing supply chain operations. Here’s the proof: 

  • About 3,426 companies across the globe are actively working toward decarbonization, aligning their actions with climate science to reduce carbon emissions. – Science Based Targets initiative 
  • According to a study conducted in 2022, involving 850 global companies, approximately 80% of them indicated their intentions to boost their investments in sustainability. – WeWork 
  • Approximately 66% of organizations are actively striving to enhance their energy efficiency. – Deloitte 

Here’s where it gets interesting: Despite the new focus on sustainability and reducing carbon footprints, many organizations still need to connect the dots between cloud computing and its environmental impactNeedless to say, cloud technology has been a well-kept secret in the sustainability world.

Environmental Impact of Cloud Computing

1.Reducing Carbon Footprint

Traditional computing setups involve several physical servers, each with their own energy demands and inefficiencies. These servers often run at partial capacity or remain idle for long periods.

Interesting Fact: The more clouds you have, the more sunlight they reflect, reducing global warming. Similarly, Cloud computing can reduce carbon emissions by up to 98% compared to traditional data storage methods.

 

Cloud service providers create virtual servers that share the same physical hardware. Server sharing cuts resource waste. By eliminating multiple individual servers, cloud computing lowers energy consumption, translating into reduced carbon emissions. 

 

2. Energy Efficiency in Cloud Data Centers

Discarding outdated servers not only leads to a significant volume of e-waste but also contributes to environmental pollution.  

As per the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers represent approximately 1–1.5% of the total global electricity consumption. In 2021, the global electricity usage by data centers ranged between 220 to 320 Terawatt hours, accounting for roughly 0.9%–1.3% of the worldwide electricity demand. Notably, this signifies a notable increase of 10%–60% in data center energy consumption compared to the levels recorded in 2015.

 

On the other hand, modern cloud data centers are at the forefront of energy efficiency.  

  • Cloud data centers now use cutting-edge cooling solutions to maintain cooler operating temperatures. These solutions include hot and cold aisle containment, liquid cooling, and free-air cooling. By efficiently managing server temperatures, these centers minimize the energy required for cooling.  
  • Cloud data centers use sophisticated power management systems that optimize energy usage. This includes adjusting power use in real-time to match workload demands. 
  • The energy-saving aspect of the design of cloud data centers lies in their modular and scalable nature. Unlike traditional data centers, cloud data centers do not maintain excess capacity to handle peak loads continuously. Instead, they can dynamically allocate resources, ensuring that computing power is utilized precisely when needed. This eliminates the need for over-provisioning, where data centers maintain excessive capacity that may sit idle for extended periods.
3.Cloud’s Scalability and Elasticity

Scalability allows organizations to change computing resources to match their workloads. Think of a restaurant that adjusts its seating capacity during busy and quiet times. Similarly, cloud services let businesses increase or decrease computing power and storage in response to changing demands.  This way companies don’t waste resources they don’t need, which can’t be avoided with physical hardware.

Future Trends in Green Cloud Computing

Edge Computing and Its Environmental Impact: Edge computing shifts centralized data processing to a distributed model, where data is analyzed closer to its source (IoT devices are a great example). This shift has the potential to drastically reduce data transfer needs, leading to a substantial decrease in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.  

Renewable Energy Integration: Integrating renewable energy sources into data centers is gaining momentum.  Companies like Google have invested in massive solar farms to meet the energy demands of their data centers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) similarly began wind farm projects, while Microsoft is exploring underwater data centers powered by ocean currents. 

Green Cloud Certification Standards: The addition of more industry standards and certifications for green cloud computing reveals a growing commitment to sustainability. Standards such as the Carbon Trust Standard and the Green Electronics Council’s Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), provide organizations with a roadmap for environmentally responsible cloud practices. They often require organizations to meet specific emissions reduction targets. EPEAT specifically evaluates energy efficiency, recyclability, and materials used. To achieve EPEAT certification, products must meet strict environmental requirements and undergo thorough verification. 

Balancing Environmental Benefits and Challenges 

The journey towards a greener and more sustainable future in cloud computing is well underway. Organizations should choose cloud partners dedicated to renewable energy sources and environmentally responsible data center practices to contribute to an eco-friendly world. By making these conscious choices, we can collectively shape a digital landscape that meets our needs and supports our commitment to protecting our planet.

Embrace the green cloud revolution for a sustainable future!

Joseph Esdale

Joseph Esdale

Joseph Esdale, MBA, ITIL® Master, serves as Managing Director, Cloud and Infrastructure, Americas, for CTG and has more than 20 years of experience in IT Services for healthcare. Joe has practical Help Desk experience at all levels of service, starting his IT career as a Level 1 agent, and moving into the roles of supervisor, manager, and director for Help Desk operations. He has also managed Help Desk technology teams, and developed and deployed ITSM ticketing systems for myriad organizations.

More of Joseph Esdale articles