Being green isn't exclusive to Cloud vendors, says report

Senior executives in large organisations face a growing dilemma: how to scale data and AI use while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. This balancing act is complicated by ethical, commercial, and regulatory pressures to address climate change. For example, last year in Ireland, energy-hungry data centres consumed more electricity than all the country’s urban homes combined, according to official figures.

"Organisations often think that environmental responsibility is primarily a Cloud vendor obligation, but the truth is, it's a shared responsibility," said Jerry Williams, Chief Environmental Officer, SAS. "Greater efficiency in AI model development, made possible by the availability of data and AI platforms that are optimised to run in the cloud, will also help teams to reduce unnecessary duplication and waste, and minimise energy consumption.”

The report, which draws on expert insights, highlights the growing problem of data consumption and its environmental consequences. While Cloud computing can improve operational efficiency, it is also a significant contributor to carbon emissions. Cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform are working towards greater sustainability in data centre design and management, but the responsibility also falls on the organisations that utilise these services.

“If you reduce the time needed to run analytical workloads, it will also have the added benefit of significantly reducing your carbon emissions,” said Spiros Potamitis, Senior Data Scientist, SAS. “However, what’s really important is that organisations see this as a shared responsibility. If all organisations have accountability for their computation efficiency in the Cloud and for employing responsible ‘Cloud citizen’ practices, the cumulative effect will be significant.”

Yves Mulkers, Data Strategist at 7wData, echoed the importance of optimising IT infrastructure to reduce energy consumption: "Organisations can make significant strides in sustainability by focusing on virtualisation, using AI to manage data, and refining large language models. Partnering with innovators who share these values is crucial."

Luke Davies, Managing Director of Datacenters at GlobalConnect, highlighted advancements in data centre design, including improved cooling techniques and the reuse of excess heat in local district heating systems, as key to reducing energy consumption. "We have seen flagship efforts to decarbonise data centres, such as our project to redirect heat to provide free energy for 1,500 households in Greater Copenhagen," said Davies.

The rise of GenAI adds to the complexity of this sustainability challenge. It has been reported that models such as ChatGPT-3 consume vast amounts of resources, with ChatGPT-4 demanding even more. Given that data centres are resource-intensive both directly, in terms of energy and water usage, and indirectly, through construction and equipment, the consensus among experts is that the technology sector must innovate to meet sustainability targets.

Potamitis underscored the need for businesses to monitor their cloud usage, build comprehensive ESG dashboards, and partner with sustainable software and Cloud providers. ""It's about making small, incremental changes that collectively have a significant impact. Even small improvements in cloud usage can make a big difference when considering the cumulative impact," he said.

The report also reveals inefficiencies in Cloud usage, with SAS research finding that 99% of large organisations experience issues with Cloud and analytics sprawl, which increases infrastructure, storage, and processing costs, as well as having a hidden environmental impact. Streamlining Cloud environments is essential for reducing both costs and emissions.

As demand for AI and advanced analytics continues to grow, the industry must find a balance between innovation and sustainability. The technology sector is responding with more efficient algorithms and innovations in data centre management. For example, Microsoft claims that its Azure platform is up to 93% more energy-efficient than traditional enterprise data centres.

 "The urgency of climate change, public pressure, and new regulations mean that businesses are increasingly prioritising sustainability when choosing providers," added Davies. "Without data centres, there will be no AI, so there's a structural incentive to make them as efficient as possible."

The SAS report stresses the importance of organisations re-evaluating their cloud strategies, optimising IT infrastructure, and adopting sustainable practices. As Potamitis concluded, "Given the urgency of climate change, organisations must go all in, hosting data with responsible service providers and continuously optimising their resources to reduce their emissions footprint."