VMware: "Virtualisation has helped to flatten the growth in data centre emissions"
A 2020 report says VMware's virtualisation technology has prevented as much as 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere
Data centres are responsible for more than one per cent of the world's electricity consumption, growing by more than six per cent every year - faster than almost any other industry. That sounds bad, but thanks to their sheer scale - plus continual hardware and infrastructure improvements - data centres still represent a huge increase in efficiency versus operating on-prem.
Virtualisation is a key piece of the data centre pie, enabling huge improvements in efficiency and reductions in power consumption. VMware has worked in this area since 1998, and believes that virtualisation can deliver climate benefits as well as business ones.
Much of that comes down to the nature of virtualisation. Companies can cut their reliance on on-prem hardware by moving multiple tasks, like mail and legacy apps, onto virtual servers running on a single physical machine.
IT can support new, more efficient ways of living
An IDC report, commissioned by VMware last year, estimates that the company's customers have avoided the deployment of 142 million servers since 2005 - with knock-on effects including saving 2.4 billion MWh of energy consumption and 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases.
"Along with gains in IT hardware and data centre efficiencies, virtualisation has helped to effectively flatten the growth in data centre carbon emissions, even as workloads have grown exponentially," says Nicola Peill-Moelter, director of sustainability innovation at VMware.
She continued, "A key opportunity is to assist our customers to manage emissions and energy use within their own IT infrastructure. We believe IT can be leveraged to support new, more efficient ways of living and working that will lead to a low-carbon future."
The climate mission starts at home
Of course, it's incredibly important to work with your customers and supply chain partners to encourage decarbonisation and other green practices - we all benefit from that. But just as important is focusing on your own environmental policies and procedures: not only to help the planet, but to set an example for others to follow. In the race to save our world, we should all aim to be trendsetters.
"At VMware, we are committed to LEED & BREEAM green building certifications for our global footprint," says Peill-Moelter. "Our new offices are built with 'sustainability in design' and provide an enhanced employee experience. We are also building a one-of-a-kind Community Microgrid at our Palo Alto campus, to provide locally generated renewable power for our offices and the city during emergencies such as climate-related disasters."
The company also has a wide range of other initiatives. It has been a certified CarbonNeutral Company since 2018, running fully on renewable power since 2019; is targeting net-zero emissions, as well as commitments around e-waste, water resilience and transparency, by 2030; releases an annual Global Impact Report; and works with multiple partner bodies, in recognition of the fact that "we cannot meet our environmental sustainability goals on our own."
These moves are driven by VMware's ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Office, which unusually resides in the Office of the CTO. 30 people work on purely ESG, and executive-level support comes from the ESG Leadership Council.
Leading from the top and bottom
But green credentials cannot only come from the top down: a commitment to stopping climate change must be cultural, shared across an organisation. To assist with this monumental task, VMware launched the Sustainability Ambassadors programme, which aims to push sustainability and green work from the bottom-up across the company.
"The Sustainability Ambassadors are employee-led teams of VMware people who are passionate about Sustainability and our EPIC2 values. They help amplify the sustainability message at the local level and lead engagement activities that help employees integrate sustainability into their lives, both at home and the office.
"Our Sustainability Ambassadors engaged with their colleagues and communities on how to drive sustainable lifestyles and adopt sustainable mindsets by managing food waste, adjusting purchasing decisions, managing water and energy consumption, and making responsible transportation choices. These efforts culminated in the Sustainability at Home Guide, a compilation of tips and resources for leading a sustainable lifestyle while working remotely."
These initiatives are paying off with external recognition:
"In 2020, Ecovadis awarded VMware a Silver Sustainability Rating, and we earned placement on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. We also received a CDP Climate Grade ‘A' and were recognised by CDP Worldwide as a Supplier Engagement Leader, for our efforts to encourage our suppliers' participation in CDP Supply Chain and to cascade climate action across our value chain."
Sustainability is of rising importance to our customers
The climate issue is not one that will be solved through awards and certifications, though, and all of this work is moot if the customer isn't interested. Handily, that isn't the case.
"As the urgency to address climate change and other critical environmental issues grows, VMware believes that sustainability is of rising importance to our customers... We are seeing a significant increase in the inclusion of sustainability requirements by customers in Request for Proposals, and as a discussion topic at the C-suite level.
In addition, almost 1,700 companies have committed to Science-Based Targets and are looking to their suppliers for solutions. Many of these companies are VMware customers that span all industries and geographies."
Peill-Moelter, and VMware's actions, continually stress the importance of working together: suppliers, customers and end-users all working towards a single shared goal of sustainable, eco-friendly operations. For example, the company recently launched its Responsible Sourcing Programme, has commitments to lower emissions (both its own and employees'), and plans to help three-quarters of suppliers set science-based targets by 2024.
"We can all make a positive impact by operating our digital infrastructure as efficiently and productively as possible, and using renewable energy to power that infrastructure.
"VMware is committed to not only reducing the environmental impact of our own business operations, through our Net Zero and Science-Based Initiative programmes, but also to sustainability innovation in our software solutions and public cloud ecosystem that helps our customers achieve their own sustainability goals."
Join us at Computing 's first Tech Impact Conference this year, exploring the relationship between tech and the climate - including case studies about the road to net zero, how to go green in your data centre and supply chain, and how to make small changes with a big impact. For those who are passionate about the planet - and those who are more wary - there has never been a better time to get involved.
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