Utilising and innovating technology could mean huge environmental and cost savings for businesses. Dimension Data has set out plans to reduce its clients’ carbon by 1.8 million tons, more than the Group itself produces, and prevent 4,000 tons of electronic waste from going to landfill.

This will enable Dimension Data to save its clients up to $2 billion in energy and travel costs, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources by 2018.

"The principle behind these targets is simple," explains Brett Dawson, Dimension Data’s CEO. "We want to use technology to save more carbon while ensuring that we minimise electronic waste going to landfill. We believe that our new targets will help our clients achieve not only their economic, but also their environmental sustainability goals. At the same time, it encourages us to work together and find new ways to use technology to solve a vital issue in preventing dangerous climate change – the reduction of carbon."

Colin Curtis, Dimension Data’s Director of Sustainability says the case for using technology to reduce carbon is extremely compelling. "Our research reveals that one server that’s moved to the cloud typically saves 4,000 kWh of energy every year. Companies that move their computing resources from company-owned data centres to optimised managed cloud platforms can significantly reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions."

Using visual communications technology could be another approach to reducing carbon emissions, with a projected saving of almost 20,000 km in travelling distance per year for a typical videoconferencing system. Greater adoption of an immersive telepresence room could save nearly one million kilometres per year, according to the research.

A commitment to environmental stewardship is of priority to Dimension Data. Data centre virtualisation, smart buildings, and network energy management will be part of the innovation to reduce carbon emissions.

"Instead of simply reducing the environmental impact from our own operations, we’ve set ourselves the challenge of using technology more progressively, in order to help our clients with their own carbon reduction strategies. This is part of our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices," concludes Curtis.