For many consumers, sustainability is a business requirement. In Australia, businesses are being pushed to be more eco-friendly by government rules, investor expectations, and changing customer values. However, how can we achieve significant, measurable change? That requires more than moving to LED lights or banning plastic cups from the break room. For many companies, the real potential is in implementing sustainable IT solutions. This is when professional IT consulting becomes invaluable.
The Environmental Cost of IT Infrastructure
There’s no way around it: the IT industry uses massive amounts of energy. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres contribute approximately 1% of all energy-related greenhouse gas pollution. This is also a concern in Australia. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) says that data centres here use about 5% of all the electricity in the country. That amount is expected to increase to 8% by 2030.
Beyond data centres, IT asset manufacturing and disposal have significant adverse environmental impacts. Old hardware, faulty cooling systems, and outdated network designs release more carbon emissions.
What IT Consultancy Firms Bring to the Sustainability Table
An expert IT consulting partner optimises systems for performance and the environment simultaneously. IT consultants can help businesses use less energy, reduce pollution, and lower costs by looking at their current infrastructure, finding inefficiencies, and suggesting innovative enhancements.
Such outcomes are happening more often as businesses look into green IT strategies to make their operations more secure for the future. At the same time, without help from specialists, many leaders find it challenging to figure out which projects will have the most significant impact on the environment and their business goals.
Key Areas Where IT Consulting Drives Sustainable Change
Sustainability in IT requires a thoughtful, expert-led approach. Here are key methods IT experts use to make technology ecosystems more eco-friendly:
1. Cloud Migration and Virtualisation
Cutting down on physical infrastructure is one of the most efficient ways to make an IT system greener. IT experts help companies migrate to cloud providers that primarily run on clean energy, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power.
For example, Australia’s AWS and Microsoft Azure data centres use more renewable energy sources to help companies meet their environmental goals. Consultants assist businesses with the technical side of moving and the legal side, cost modelling, and carbon tracking.
Virtualisation also plays a part. Businesses can reduce their use of machinery and energy by increasing the rate at which they use servers and combining resources.
2. Sustainable Procurement and Lifecycle Management
IT consultants are increasingly assisting procurement teams to select sustainable technology that meets performance and environmental requirements. This includes using ENERGY STAR or EPEAT-certified energy-efficient hardware and ethical sources with recycling available.
It’s not over when you buy it. Effective consultants create lifecycle strategies for reducing e-waste through refurbishment, donation, or certified recycling schemes. In Australia, the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) provides a structure for experts to help businesses easily integrate.
3. Energy Monitoring and IT Carbon Footprinting
Measuring emissions is essential because you can only control what you can measure. IT consultants have the tools and knowledge to check how much energy different IT systems use and determine how much damage they do to the planet.
Accenture’s 2024 Sustainability Technology Vision study found that only 7% of Australian businesses have integrated their technology and sustainability goals. That difference is significant.
Consultants might suggest emissions reductions by identifying high-impact areas like underused servers or redundant software.
4. Digital Workspaces and Remote Infrastructure
Sustainability is not limited to backend systems. A trend toward remote and hybrid work has created fresh opportunities for clients to implement sustainable IT solutions.
Experts suggest setting up safe online workspaces that cut down on the need for actual travel and office-based equipment. Additionally, they assist IT departments in establishing and enforcing BYOD rules to minimise infrastructure leasing while ensuring control and compliance.
As much as 54% less carbon dioxide was released into the air by companies that let their workers do their jobs from home, according to a study from 2024 by Deloitte Australia. With that effect, digital workspace support is a compelling environmental protection tool.
Navigating Compliance and Certifications
As concerns about greenwashing grow, regulators are increasing pressure on Australian companies to support their sustainability claims with verifiable data, ensuring their efforts are genuine rather than misleading.
IT consultants help companies navigate climate risk disclosures and sustainability certifications. Consulting services ensure the tech side of a company meets ISO 14001 standards and ESG reporting requirements.
They also help the company evaluate third-party partners and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers to ensure the IT supply chain supports its green goals.
The Long Game: Why Sustainable IT Is a Strategic Advantage
ESG compliance and aesthetic appeal are not the only factors that matter in this context. Sustainable IT helps businesses in the long run by lowering costs, making personnel more fulfilled, and making them less vulnerable to changes in regulations and the market.
Partnering with the Right Experts
Sustainable business practices require strategic direction, technical expertise, and a profound awareness of technology and environmental responsibility. Internal teams, already under pressure, cannot realistically undertake such a task.
That’s why plenty of companies hire eco-friendly technology consulting from Synapse IT Consultants.
Synapse IT Consultants creates effective green IT strategies based on real-world results to assist Australian businesses in reducing emissions, improving systems, and future-proofing operations.
Contact Synapse IT Consultants today to see how we can help you move toward smarter, greener corporate IT.
Share this post
