“Some organisations still see sustainability as another marketing trend”
Sheryl Moor, Director of Sustainability, Stone Group
To what extent does the tech sector have an issue with greenwashing?
According to the UN environmental programme, the tech sector is responsible for 2% to 3% of the world’s carbon emissions – in 2021, this was comparable with global aviation. The tech sector also produces the world’s fastest growing waste steam in e-waste so the statistics can make grim reading.
There are genuine actions being taken in the tech sector to reduce environmental impact but it’s a complex issue and some will try to shortcut the hardwork with greenwashing or greenhushing where they only talk about the positive but not the negative impact.
What are the dos and don’ts for IT providers looking to publicise their sustainability efforts in a responsible way?
Being a truly responsible organisation means you have to consider your whole operation – and sustainability throughout. If an organisation shouts about big sustainability wins and tries to grab headlines I’d question this as a consumer – because being conscious of sustainability makes me want to look beyond the headlines, find out about actions that are taking place and see how organisations justify their claims.
At Stone we don’t just review our sustainability efforts regularly – we also have third-party accreditations to ensure that our sustainability work can be independently verified.
This level of rigour can be expensive and time-consuming, but it means we’re doing the right thing for environmental and social sustainability and it means that we can provide assurance to our customers who take sustainability just as seriously.
With corporates increasingly being called out over misleading claims, do you think we’ve passed peak greenwash in the IT industry and elsewhere?
Unfortunately not. I feel that some organisations still see sustainability as another marketing trend and want to gain advantages without putting in the effort of being a responsible business. Although legislation is improving this situation, customers should still be vigilant and consider sustainability credentials when assessing a business – and they should look at cost and availability of products, too.
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
