Environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has become invaluable in minimizing carbon footprint, boosting waste management and enhancing board diversity in the cloud computing industry. The rising footprint of cloud services across healthcare, automotive, media, gaming, financial services, public services and e-commerce has furthered the need to bolster the sustainability profile. Brands are expected to use AR/VR, edge computing, big data, blockchain and cloud-native technologies to foster brand recognition, complement sound corporate behavior and bolster sustainable investing.
ESG strategies have gained prominence in the wake of surging environmental awareness and consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices for sustainable products. Environmentally and socially conscious practices have become prevalent to attract and retain investors and customers. Cloud computing service providers have exhibited profound traction to expedite their ESG progress. For instance, the Google Cloud Platform offers carbon-free energy scores for Google Cloud regions, enabling companies to choose GCP locations optimized for reduced carbon emissions.
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Discover more regarding the practices and strategies being implemented by industry participants in the Cloud Computing Industry ESG Thematic Report, 2023, published by Astra ESG Solutions
Environmental Perspective
The global push to meet sustainability goals has prompted forward-looking organizations to achieve their ESG objectives. Industry leaders are inclined to use green equipment in data centers to minimize power consumption. Moreover, businesses are expected to receive impetus from recycling and reuse to reduce waste and capital expenditure. In essence, Google suggests that 5 of its data centers operate at almost 90% carbon-free energy (CFE). With data centers continuing to be sought-after in the energy transition, sustainable cloud services will witness investments galore.
Social Perspective
Diversity representation and the emphasis on inclusivity have become a viable portfolio to foster a positive change within the company and across societies. Prominently, women account for over 30% of the Microsoft workforce globally. Moreover, women in technical roles have risen between 1.4 and 1.6% points over the past half a decade. It has also embarked on a mission to represent the population of people with disabilities. As of June 2022, around 7.8% of the Microsoft employees in the core business in the U.S. self-identified as having a disability.
SOURCE: PR Newswire