Sustainability outcomes in your technology projects
Sustainability teams can be left chasing as rapid business transformations pursue the opportunities and benefits of AI and of data centres.
Meanwhile, the sustainability issues and ESG risks of AI and data centres span the full spectrum of topics. From water and energy to workforce transition, social and community impacts, and human rights.
The say-do gap
Without committed integration of sustainability and technology, a say-do gap can emerge in those material issues intersecting with AI and DC projects. How might we close this gap in a way trusted by employees, customers and stakeholders and communities.
To meet the twin test of sustainability and responsibility, Pure and Applied helps business leaders to bring their corporate sustainability strategy and policies, and ESG risk management, to responsible AI implementations, and to new data centre projects.
Get in touch
Siobhan Toohill
Principal, Advisory
siobhan@pureandapplied.net
Adrian Wiggins
Director, Collaboration
adrian@pureandapplied.net
The ESG considerations of AI and DCs
The environmental impacts of AI and DCs – on energy and water – are amongst the most common concerns for more sustainable technology. There are though wider ESG impacts, risks and opportunities to be weighed.
| Environmental | Social | Governance |
|---|---|---|
| Climate transition action plans Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduction Nature and biodiversity Resource consumption and circularity Energy, water and waste | Labour rights and just transition Human rights and modern slavery First Nations prosperity Human and social capital Community and social impact | Board and oversight Executive incentives Sustainability strategy Risk appetite and controls Responsible business policy |
Responsible AI
While responsible AI governance is well-described in Australia, sustainability teams and leaders may lack the engagement needed across silos for connecting ESG practices and controls with AI governance.
Pure and Applied can help with
» supporting sustainability engagement with responsible AI practice
» responsible AI governance aligned to sustainability governance
Data centre project proponents and operators
DC project proponents and operators can encounter stakeholder questioning of their sustainability aims and claims.
While data centre projects are well-advised by their design partners for asset lifecycle sustainability, there’s more to consider in ESG than renewable energy, circular economy and water efficiency.
This consideration can be amplified in the search for sustainable finance, or in preparing for a sustainability performance claim.
Pure and Applied can help with:
» A comprehensive sustainability strategy
» Sustainable finance investment readiness
Data centre tenants
Data centre tenants sometime seek to apply sustainability and ESG criteria to the renegotiation of ongoing agreements, or for finding a new data centre tenancy. What should matter in these considerations? How might the claims of data centres be assessed?
Pure and Applied can help with
» the selection criteria for DCs drawn from your material issues
» the assessment process for sustainability performance
How we help your success
Pure and Applied brings an independent, trusted ESG capability to support business leaders in shaping the technology governance needed, so they can better assess implementation choices against sustainability criteria.
So that investment meets the twin test of responsibility and of sustainability, we connect with the implementation context to identify material impacts, risks and opportunities, and to co-design responses.
» Read our Responsible AI Policy.