The technology and connectivity transition is no longer optional for today’s businesses. On the contrary, it’s a vital necessity linked to the survival of organisations and stakeholders in the technology sector, as well as those in other industries, regardless of their size or scope. The change will affect everyone and everything.

What’s more, we’re heading for a paradigm shift in the way technology transition targets will be achieved, closely linked to the impact on the environment and the carbon footprint generated. Sustainable connectivity will be key to achieving the UN Development Goals before the 2030 deadline.

Connectivity comes with an environmental cost, one that must be minimised

Technological advances have led to a variety of major leaps forward in business development. And they continue to play a vital role. And not just when it comes to connectivity. Blockchain, the Internet of Things and the development of the metaverse, to name just a few technologies at the cutting-edge, will continue to change the way markets behave, as well as the societies in which they operate.

But this all incurs an energy, environmental and sustainability cost. According to the University of Cambridge in a recent study, data centres alone produce some 100 million tons of CO₂ per year. All the world’s mobile devices – thought to number somewhere in the region of 25 billion – are responsible for between 3 and 4% globally of CO₂ emissions.

Sustainable connectivity must go hand in hand and in parallel with the digital revolution. This will involve synthesising climate risk maps based on the physical location of facilities, measuring the energy-related impact of servers, as well as monitoring the energy efficiency of machine learning, to name just a few examples.

The example being set by tech giants like Apple, Microsoft and Google – who have firmly committed to becoming entirely carbon neutral – may ‘encourage’ other companies, both big and small, to take a similar course of action. And big investors will also be able to do their bit… committing to bigger injections of cash for those who commit to connectivity without sacrificing their environmental responsibility.

Sustainable connectivity to boost competition

Sustainable connectivity isn’t just for show. According to a report from Accenture, “between 2013 and 2020, the companies that performed better on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues recorded operating margins that were 3.7 times better than their competitors. And shareholder returns were 2.6 times greater”.

The same report explains that pioneering companies working on digital and sustainable transformation – balancing the importance and attention paid to both sides of the equation – are 2.5 times more likely to be market leaders in future when compared to their competitors.

As such, investing in this dual transformation is becoming a priority for those who want to shore up their advantageous positions in the short term. 85% of Spanish firms say they plan to increase their investments in sustainability over the course of this year and nearly 40% say they’ll ringfence between 6 and 10% of their investments for digitalisation.

However, looking towards 2030, sustainable development isn’t the only thing on the horizon. There are also significant strategic moves in the labour market to look out for – given the demand for technical and highly-specialised workers will only increase in the coming years – it’s expected that, by 2030, up to five million skilled jobs will need to be filled in Europe alone.