Measuring IT Sustainability
Key concepts, focus areas and measurement approaches to help you apply sustainable IT across your organisation.
Core sustainability concepts
The key terms and ideas that shape how IT emissions are measured and reduced.
Scope 1, 2 and 3
emissions
Understand where emissions come from across your organisation, from direct operations and purchased energy to emissions generated throughout your supply chain.
Net Zero vs carbon
neutral
Carbon neutral focuses on balancing emissions through reduction and offsetting. Net Zero prioritises reducing emissions as much as possible before addressing any remaining impact.
Embodied vs operational carbon
Embodied carbon is generated when technology is manufactured and delivered. Operational carbon is produced during the use of devices, infrastructure and services.
Where to focus your efforts
Key areas across your IT estate where sustainability improvements deliver the greatest impact.
End‑user devices
Laptops, desktops and peripherals often represent a large share of IT emissions. Extending refresh cycles, repairing devices and choosing energy‑efficient models can significantly reduce embodied carbon.
Cloud and infrastructure
Cloud platforms can improve efficiency, but over‑provisioning, unused storage and inefficient workloads still drive emissions. Optimising usage reduces both environmental impact and cost.
Data centres
Data centres consume large amounts of electricity and water. Efficiency metrics such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) help identify opportunities to reduce energy and cooling demand.
E‑waste and IT asset disposal
Secure reuse, refurbishment and certified recycling prevent environmental harm, reduce waste and recover valuable materials while ensuring data security.
Procurement and suppliers
Supplier choices directly affect Scope 3 emissions. Sustainability credentials, science‑based targets and lifecycle transparency all play a role in reducing supply‑chain impact.
Measuring and reporting IT impact
Did you know?
Up to 70-90% of IT emissions typically sit in Scope 3
Supply chain emissions from devices, cloud services and vendors are often the largest contributor to IT carbon impact.
Most of a device’s carbon footprint is generated before it’s ever used
Energy usage is the foundation of emissions reporting and benchmarking
Metrics such as PUE, WUE and carbon intensity help track progress over time.
Challenges & best practice
Common questions about measuring, reporting and improving IT sustainability
Why is measuring IT emissions so difficult?
Measuring IT emissions can be complex due to limited supplier data, inconsistent calculation methods and rapidly changing technology environments, particularly across cloud and AI workloads.
Why are Scope 3 emissions harder to track than Scope 1 and 2?
Scope 3 emissions sit within the supply chain, covering devices, cloud services and suppliers. This makes them harder to measure accurately and often dependent on third‑party data.
What data is needed to measure IT carbon impact?
Organisations typically rely on a combination of energy consumption data, device lifecycle information, supplier disclosures and lifecycle assessments to build an emissions baseline.
How can organisations improve the accuracy of IT emissions reporting?
Accuracy improves by establishing a baseline, prioritising high‑impact areas, using recognised frameworks, engaging suppliers early and reviewing metrics regularly.
What are the most common challenges organisations face with sustainable IT?
Common challenges include limited visibility into supplier emissions, legacy infrastructure, inconsistent measurement approaches and competing budget priorities.
How often should IT sustainability metrics be reviewed?
Metrics should be reviewed regularly to track progress, identify trends and support ongoing optimisation rather than treated as a one‑off exercise.
Understanding your IT footprint starts with good data. Measuring emissions, energy consumption and lifecycle impacts can help identify opportunities for improvement and support sustainability reporting.
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