In light of growing global commitments like Net Zero, businesses must examine whether their IT operations meet necessary Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. Achieving this requires visibility at every step to ensure that technology adheres to ESG principles. According to Ritchie Puckey, Head of Compliance at managed service provider (MSP) Espria, a potential solution lies in leveraging a cloud-first approach to sustainably deliver these requirements.
As ESG targets become an increased priority for many organisations, maintaining compliance can be challenging, particularly in the realm of technology. Businesses require solutions that meet IT demands while ensuring operations are compliant, environmentally friendly, and future-proof as the global community shifts towards a greener outlook.
Puckey emphasises that MSPs have a responsibility to spearhead discussions around sustainable practices and client accountability. "From an ESG perspective, all organisations are now looking towards meeting the minimum standards of expectations," said Puckey. He added, "Services must be provided ethically and sustainably and evidenced as such. Everybody wants to do the right thing for the environment, and most importantly, businesses need to be perceived as doing the right thing."
Reiterating the important role MSPs can play in maintaining ESG compliance, Puckey stated, "MSPs can reassure and provide galvanisation to the end customer that they are making sustainable and ethical decisions at every stage." Indeed, Puckey believes MSPs can unify distinct services under one umbrella, therefore streamlining operations and internal scrutiny towards sustainability and ethics.
He also believes that smaller organisations have a distinct need to report their environmental impacts. By implementing tools built to aid in sustainability, security and productivity reporting, MSPs can support these small businesses in their ESG strategy.
Further asserting the key role of cloud storage in meeting ESG compliance, Puckey explained, "With its infrastructure designed to scale, a cloud-first approach to delivering solutions is the way to go. In a traditional model, you would have a server running in your office at 20% capacity, using power 24/7/365 and pushing out heat. Data centres are specifically designed to run and cater to multiple users and environments more efficiently, and when looking at power consumption, it's far more efficient than many individual businesses running their own servers."
Such a cloud-first approach can leverage the advancements being made in sustainable power and renewable energy technology. By adopting this approach, MSPs can demonstrate reduced energy use, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, minimised technology waste, data centre efficiency and a shift to renewable energy resources to their customers, all from a single source.
Espria, recently commended in CRN’s Sustainability in Tech Awards, acknowledges its role in helping businesses meet global ESG commitments like Net Zero, providing a catalyst for growth and risk reduction. Espria's Sustainable Assessments and reporting tools empower customers to make informed decisions and provide sustainable solutions based on data analysis. Through digital transformation, Espria aims to enhance the sustainability of its clients' businesses in a quantifiable and accountable way.