OPINION
As sustainability becomes a defining global priority, the intersection of technology and environmental stewardship presents both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges. As members of the Australian tech community, we are positioned at the forefront of this shift.
Recently, I had the privilege of undertaking a Sustainable IT study tour in the United Kingdom during London’s Climate Action Week – a monumental program hosting over 75,000 attendees.
Through engagements at the ‘Road to Geneva’ AI Roundtable hosted by the Swiss Government, the Sustainable IT Impact Summit, and a resilient organisations session co-hosted by LinkedIn and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), a clear consensus emerged.
The global trends I observed align perfectly with the ACS Sustainability Committee’s core mission: to promote sustainable digital transformation and climate-conscious technology adoption across Australia.
AI’s footprint
The most pressing topic dominating global conversations is the urgent need to manage artificial intelligence’s exponential environmental footprint.
The sheer scale and rapid deployment of AI have become primary concerns for environmental strategists.
To contextualise the magnitude of this challenge, in the UK alone, data centre energy consumption is forecast to jump from 2 per cent to 7 per cent of total national consumption – roughly 22 terawatt-hours – by 2030.
Crucially, this figure does not even account for the associated water usage and carbon emission impacts.
To address this impending challenge, forward-thinking leaders are advocating for a paradigm shift toward ‘Technology Business Management (TBM) by Design’.
Instead of treating sustainability as a retrospective reporting exercise, organisations are embedding comprehensive financial and environmental modelling early in the architecture phase.
This proactive approach flags carbon- and energy-intensive AI and compute choices before the underlying infrastructure is provisioned.
Coupled with this is a strong push to implement strict, human-accountable AI governance to mitigate the risks associated with ‘shadow AI’ and an over-reliance on vendor-led strategies.
Simultaneously, the industry is experiencing a critical shift from hardware optimisation toward software sustainability.
Global experts widely acknowledge that traditional hardware efficiency gains are being rapidly outpaced by the immense computational demands of massive AI models, making software sustainability the critical missing link.
Leading global organisations, such as Siemens, are pioneering this space by incorporating sustainable development practices directly into their software engineering platforms.
Rather than merely estimating their environmental impact, these organisations actively track AI emissions using the Green Software Foundation's Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) metrics.
By measuring exact figures – such as the kilograms of CO2 emitted per million tokens generated by internal GPT tools – these companies are bringing unprecedented accountability and precision to software development.
The people
As we overhaul our architecture and software, we must also focus heavily on our people.
A recent report by LinkedIn highlighted a profound shift in the labour market, noting that ‘green’ and ‘AI’ capabilities are increasingly interconnected.
This connection is forging a ‘twin transition’, where the modern workforce requires both digital tools and environmental fluency.
However, a major skills gap is emerging: while demand for green talent is growing at 7.8 per cent annually, the supply of workers equipped with these skills is failing to keep pace.
To bridge this gap, we must champion structural changes within our own professional frameworks in Australia.
We need to update models like the SFIA framework to formalise ‘GreenOps’ as a core discipline, ensuring that sustainability-by-design is embedded into architecture, procurement, IT, finance, and data roles.
Sustainability evolves
Beyond the digital and structural realms, the conversation surrounding physical hardware circularity has matured substantially.
The focus has shifted from simple e-waste reduction to generating tangible Social Return on Investment (SROI).
Progressive organisations are moving away from standard resale models, actively partnering instead with IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) charities.
By shifting corporate culture to treat employees as ‘custodians’ of their laptops rather than owners, companies are successfully extending device lifespans.
Subsequently, donating thousands of refurbished devices to bridge the digital divide represents a powerful merging of environmental sustainability and social equity.
Finally, driving these monumental changes requires collaborative governance at a massive scale.
The UK Government Digital Sustainability Alliance (GDSA) was showcased during the tour as a highly effective model for driving sustainable ICT across government departments, academia, and the supply chain.
The GDSA successfully facilitates standardisation in procurement – such as single-device specifications – and fosters collaboration on complex challenges like standardising Scope 3 emissions reporting.
This alliance offers a compelling collaborative blueprint that we should fiercely advocate for within both the Australian public and private sectors.
The insights from this study tour present a fantastic opportunity for Australia’s technology sector to champion structural changes, enhanced IT skill frameworks, and innovative circular economy principles.
The ACS Sustainability Committee remains firmly committed to advocating for sustainability as a core principle of technological progress.
By adapting these global insights into our strategic initiatives, we can ensure our innovation not only drives economic growth but strengthens Australia’s capacity to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable digitally enabled future.
Tim Prosser is a member of the ACS Sustainability Committee.
