Summary of research

We set out to answer 3 questions with this desk research:

1. What examples of good practice exist internationally in relation to tech net zero?
2. What do these examples mean for you?
3. What’s working well? What could be improved?

Q1: What examples of good practice exist internationally in relation to tech net zero? 👇🏻

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International Best Practice Resources

Untitled Database

Responsible tech playbook (thoughtworks)

The consequences of not incorporating responsible and ethical thinking can be devastating to our identity, health, business, economics, political systems and our social cohesion. As technologists, the tools we apply can help prevent these drastic consequences.

Q2: What do these examples mean for you?

• Scrutinising existing IT/digital supplier relationships and building sustainable, long-term partnerships through procurement will be critical to the success of building a net zero emissions Europe: “Many countries have recently legislated for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or before. This challenge will become increasingly important as many enterprises are undergoing their digital transformation to upgrade their business operations, leading to an expected exponential growth in computing demand over the next several decades.”
• Interconnectedness of effort is key, as one country’s net zero transformation will have impact beyond its borders. The next ten years will mark a pivotal point for understanding how digital can support the delivery of net zero into the future, and this will rely heavily on openness and collaboration between nations. There’s an opportunity for global standards to be agreed and technology adopted where it has already been proven to work effectively.
• Smart global approaches in the private sector to brownfield services and products can provide inspiration for the public sector. We see industries such as building and manufacturing structuring and centralising data, or embracing a culture of experimentation to make progress at a service level e.g. exploring different operating models that have sustainability at their centre.

Q3: What’s working well? What could be improved?

• The best options for the climate can often be the most cost effective, as key technical solutions continue to fall in price rapidly. Understanding the options and having a clear, timely way to benchmark against existing infrastructure and service delivery is important to encourage bold decision-making by stakeholders.
• A well-defined framework for success in reaching net zero targets is needed, or the efforts of a government could fall short and impact society and the economy. How well do we collectively understand the rate of change required and the impact of service and system transformation, as detailed here: “The rate of change has to be increased threefold over the next ten years compared with the last 30—with a tenfold increase in some sectors—in order to achieve the required system transformations”