Responsible digital technology at Castelis
Green IT is becoming a major concern for companies, heightened by the context of energy sobriety. As a company developing digital solutions and IT infrastructure services, Castelis also has a role to play in responsible digital technology. Our approach to digital sobriety and eco-design of digital services translates into concrete actions both within the company and in the projects we carry out for our clients.
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What is Green IT?
Green IT, or responsible digital technology, refers to all practices aimed at reducing the environmental impact of digital technology, from the design of solutions through every stage of their lifecycle.
All actions implemented point in the same direction: reducing the quantity of resources needed to produce and use a service. In this way, consumption is limited, unnecessary resource manufacturing is avoided, and the lifespan of devices — which represent the majority of digital technology’s environmental impact — is extended.
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Sources of environmental impact
Specifically, the sources of environmental impact break down as follows:
- Manufacturing and electricity consumption of devices (47%)
- Electricity consumption and manufacturing of network infrastructure (28%)
- Electricity consumption of data centres and manufacturing of equipment (25%)
At its scale, Castelis is able to act on the electricity consumption of devices and infrastructure.
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The environmental impact of digital technology
According to converging studies and reports from Ademe, the Shift Project, and the Green IT collective, the impact of digital technology on the environment is considerable, both during the production of solutions and during their operation.
Yet applying simple measures such as reducing the number of connected objects in favour of pooling and open APIs; replacing screens with less energy-intensive display devices such as VR/AR or LED projectors; extending the lifespan of devices and fighting planned obsolescence; or eco-designing digital solutions, could have reduced the global carbon footprint of digital technology by 27 to 52% between 2010 and 2025, keeping it at its 2018 level despite 1.1 billion new users.
Share of digital devices and infrastructure in France's electricity consumption
Estimated share of digital technology in France's GHG emissions by 2040 on the current model
Annual increase in energy consumption for digital technology
The challenges of responsible digital for businesses
Compelling economic arguments
Beyond environmental considerations, businesses also have strong economic arguments to take the green IT turn as quickly as possible.
Reduce operating costs
An eco-designed software or application consumes less energy, reducing spending on electricity, network infrastructure, server power, and cooling… It also increases equipment lifespan and thus limits and spaces out investment.
Anticipate regulations
Green IT approaches are increasingly accompanied by a desire for standardisation. The reflection on companies' carbon debt, for example, suggests future regulations will be more demanding than current voluntary approaches.
Secure a competitive advantage
A more virtuous website or web application is valuable and can be differentiated from the competition. With the emergence of labels such as Green Code Label, companies are increasingly aware of Green IT issues and favour less energy-intensive solutions.
Boost performance
The less energy a digital service consumes, the more performant it is — it loads faster, creates a more positive user experience, is better ranked by search engines, and therefore generates more business, meeting marketing and commercial objectives.
Improve brand image
A company mindful of its environmental impact and supported by concrete, measurable actions can communicate its results as part of its CSR approach. It therefore attracts new partners and clients, retains existing ones, and attracts new talent.
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Taking action every day
Castelis’s actions to reduce its environmental impact are not new and go beyond Green IT. As evidenced by the latest CSR reports.
- Waste sorting and recycling, including IT waste;
- Threefold reduction in paper consumption;
- Responsible use of heating and air conditioning;
- Paperless operations and digitalisation of work tools;
- Use of eco-friendly cleaning products…
On the digital side, team members are trained in best practices across all departments:
- Reducing the number and size of emails;
- Optimising the performance of internal software;
- Choosing less energy-intensive cloud servers;
- Purchasing less energy-intensive or even second-hand IT equipment…
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Green IT: where does Castelis stand?
Castelis has been progressively developing its knowledge for responsible digital technology for several years. Teams across both infrastructure and custom development offerings regularly adopt new practices.
Recently, the company has embarked on a training and certification programme to develop its eco-design expertise and reduce the energy consumption of the solutions it offers to its clients.
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