Green IT: Growing trends in sustainable IT tech

From data centers to end-user devices, technology silently drives much of the world’s energy demand. In fact, the IT sector now accounts for an estimated 5–9% of global electricity usage—a number expected to rise with the growth of AI, cloud computing, and connected devices.

Green IT is the practice of designing, using, and managing IT infrastructure in a manner that minimizes environmental impact. This involves selecting energy-efficient hardware, optimizing systems to minimize waste, and developing more informed policies for the lifecycle of every device.

For organizations setting net-zero goals or investing in ESG initiatives, Green IT is often the missing puzzle piece. However, beyond sustainability, it can also unlock cost savings and mitigate risk in an increasingly regulated digital landscape.

In this guide, we’ll break down what Green IT really means, why it matters more than ever, and how companies can take concrete steps—starting today—to align their tech operations with a more sustainable future.

Key takeaways

• Green IT reduces the environmental impact of technology by minimizing energy use, lowering e-waste, and promoting sustainable practices.

• Businesses that adopt Green IT see long-term benefits like cost savings, better ESG alignment, and improved operational resilience.

• Practical strategies—like energy-efficient hardware, cloud adoption, and responsible IT asset disposal—can drive measurable sustainability gains.

What is green IT?

Green IT (or green computing) refers to the use of environmentally responsible technology practices to reduce the carbon footprint of IT operations. It includes everything from using energy-efficient hardware to optimizing cloud infrastructure, minimizing electronic waste, and implementing sustainable IT asset lifecycle management.

At its core, Green IT aims to:

• Reduce energy consumption across devices and data centers

• Limit e-waste through recycling, reuse, or extended refresh cycles

• Align IT systems with environmental regulations and corporate ESG goals

Green IT isn't just a trend—it’s a strategic shift that empowers companies to build more sustainable, cost-effective, and compliant tech ecosystems.

Why green IT matters for business

Green IT isn’t just about doing good for the environment—it’s also about doing what’s smart for the business. Organizations that adopt sustainable technology practices gain advantages across cost savings, compliance, and brand perception.

The hidden environmental costs of IT

IT infrastructure silently consumes a massive amount of energy—and it’s growing. From data centers to forgotten devices plugged in 24/7, the environmental toll is larger than most organizations realize.

Key stat: Data centers may account for 3.2% of total global carbon emissions by 2025.

ESG and carbon footprints 

Carbon footprints are the total greenhouse gas emissions, including those from technology—that human actions generate.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are becoming central to how companies are evaluated—by regulators, investors, and even customers. For IT teams, this means sustainability isn’t a side goal; it’s directly tied to business performance and risk management.

Green IT plays a pivotal role in supporting ESG initiatives. From reducing emissions and electronic waste to ensuring secure data disposal, IT departments have growing influence over how organizations meet their ESG targets.

Implementing Green IT practices can also improve ESG reporting and audit readiness, reduce exposure to compliance violations, and build trust with stakeholders.

Benefits of implementing green IT

Adopting Green IT practices helps businesses reduce environmental impact and operate more efficiently—all while aligning with growing ESG expectations.

Key wins from adopting Green IT:

• Lower energy consumption: Energy-efficient hardware, cloud computing, and power management policies reduce electricity usage across the IT stack.

• Reduced operational costs: Lower energy bills and extended hardware lifecycles minimize IT spend over time.

• Regulatory alignment: Green IT supports compliance with data privacy and sustainability standards (e.g., GDPR, ESG disclosures, e-waste regulations).

• Improved brand trust: Demonstrating sustainability initiatives builds credibility with customers, investors, and employees.

• Longer device lifecycles: Refurbishment, resale, or certified recycling extends the value of IT assets.

• Smoother audits and reporting: Green IT supports better tracking and documentation, especially for ESG reporting frameworks like GRI or TCFD.

• Better employee engagement: People want to work for companies doing good. Green IT sends a clear message.

Common barriers to adoption

Even with growing awareness, many organizations struggle to implement Green IT at scale. The roadblocks aren’t always technical—they’re often cultural or operational.

What’s getting in the way?

The key? Start where the friction is low. Even small wins—like enforcing power settings or extending refresh cycles—build momentum for broader change.

Strategies to reduce energy use in IT

Reducing energy consumption isn’t just about saving on electricity bills—it’s about cutting emissions, extending device lifespan, and aligning IT operations with sustainability goals. These three strategies are where most organizations can start.

Adopt energy-efficient hardware

Upgrade to devices built for low power consumption, like Energy Star–certified laptops, SSDs, and efficient power supplies.

Visual suggestion: Icon of a laptop with an “eco” label
Supporting stat: Laptops consume up to 80% less power than desktops.

Embrace virtualization and cloud computing

By shifting from on-premise servers to cloud platforms, IT teams reduce idle hardware and scale compute needs dynamically—minimizing waste.

Visual suggestion: Icon of a cloud merging multiple servers
Supporting stat: Virtualized environments can reduce server energy use by up to 80%.

Use power management tools

Enable automatic sleep, hibernate, and shutdown settings across devices and deploy policies centrally via MDM or group policies.

Visual suggestion: Icon of a power button with a timer
Supporting stat: Power management can reduce workstation energy usage by 20–60%.

Sustainable data center practices

Data centers are the backbone of modern IT—but they’re also notorious energy consumers. Fortunately, sustainable infrastructure design can significantly cut both environmental and operational costs. The focus today is on smarter cooling, power efficiency, and renewable energy sourcing.

Why It Matters

• Data centers consume about 1–1.8% of global electricity, with cooling alone accounting for nearly 40% of that usage.

• Without intervention, this figure is expected to rise alongside the global demand for cloud computing and AI workloads.

Table: Key Benchmarks for sustainable data center operations

Best practices to implement

• Hot/Cold aisle containment: Separates intake and exhaust airflows to optimize cooling.

• Liquid cooling: More efficient than air cooling, especially for high-density environments like AI clusters.

• Smart sensors & automation: Dynamically adjusts cooling output based on server temperature and load.

• Onsite renewable power: Installing solar or wind solutions at facilities to cut reliance on fossil fuels.

Role of manufacturers in Green IT

The environmental impact of IT begins long before a device is powered on. From raw material extraction to final assembly, the manufacturing stage can account for up to 80% of a device’s total carbon footprint—particularly for smartphones and other compact electronics.

This stage includes:

• Mining and processing of raw materials

• High-emission production and assembly lines

• Hazardous chemicals and solvents

• Energy-intensive transport and packaging

These processes contribute not only to greenhouse gas emissions, but also to air and water pollution, making it one of the most carbon-intensive phases of the IT lifecycle.

Case in point: Apple & circular design

Apple has committed to becoming carbon neutral across its entire supply chain by 2030. As part of that:

• 100% of the aluminum in recent MacBook enclosures is recycled.

• The company’s Daisy robot disassembles 200 devices per hour to recover materials.

• Suppliers are required to use renewable energy in production.

These practices don’t just reduce environmental impact—they also influence the broader market. As leading vendors set the bar higher, more manufacturers are pressured to follow suit.

What to look for in vendors

When evaluating device manufacturers or technology suppliers, look for:

Prioritizing manufacturers with verifiable sustainability practices is one of the most immediate ways businesses can reduce their IT carbon footprint.

Communications technology & digital behavior

Sustainable IT isn’t just about hardware or data centers—it also includes how we communicate, collaborate, and work every day. As remote and hybrid models become standard, communications technology plays a growing role in reducing environmental impact.

How communications tech supports sustainability

Tools like video conferencing, messaging platforms, and cloud-based collaboration suites reduce the need for travel and physical infrastructure—two major contributors to carbon emissions. When used thoughtfully, these tools help organizations reduce their footprint while supporting flexible work.

A new kind of digital responsibility

The way employees use technology also matters. Seemingly small behaviors—like leaving video calls on unnecessarily or storing large volumes of unused data—accumulate energy costs over time.

Tip box: How employees can reduce their digital carbon footprint

• Turn off video on calls when it’s not needed

• Use energy-saving settings on devices

• Regularly clean up cloud storage and delete unused files

• Reduce streaming quality during large internal meetings

• Power down equipment instead of relying on sleep mode overnight

Encouraging energy-conscious habits at the individual level creates a culture of accountability—and when scaled across an organization, it can make a measurable difference.

Emerging trends in Green IT

Green IT is no longer a niche initiative—it’s becoming a business imperative. As environmental expectations grow and technologies evolve, companies are integrating sustainability deeper into their IT strategies.

What IT teams can do today

You don’t need a full overhaul to start making IT more sustainable. There are practical, high-impact actions your team can take now to build momentum toward a greener tech strategy. Even incremental changes can add up to major energy savings, lower emissions, and better alignment with ESG goals.

End-of-Lifecycle IT Management with GroWrk

Green IT isn’t complete without a responsible approach to end-of-life device management. GroWrk helps organizations reduce e-waste, recover asset value, and meet ESG targets—while staying fully compliant with data and environmental regulations.

Here’s how GroWrk makes sustainable IT simple:

• Secure data destruction

  • Permanently eliminates data using NIST 800-88 and DoD 5220.22-M standards

  • Supports SOC 2, GDPR, NAID AAA, and ISO 27001 compliance

  • Provides a Certificate of Destruction through the GroWrk platform

• Buyback for asset recovery

  • Resell aging IT assets to recover value and reinvest in upgrades

  • Request quotes, approve sales, and receive payouts or credits—all in-platform

  • Supports cost-effective lifecycle planning without hardware waste

• Certified recycling

  • Dismantles devices and recycles materials according to local laws

  • Safely handles hazardous components and maximizes material recovery

  • Issues a Recycling Certificate for full environmental traceability

• Device donation

  • Refurbishes and donates used hardware to schools and nonprofits

  • Extends asset life and promotes digital inclusion

  • Offers a Donation Certificate (often eligible for tax benefits)

• Simple process, full traceability

  • Initiate ITAD orders from a centralized dashboard

  • Select destruction, recycling, resale, or donation

  • Schedule secure pickups and track processing end-to-end

  • Get all compliance documentation in one place

Whether you’re focused on reducing e-waste, enhancing ESG reporting, or supporting CSR goals, GroWrk makes it easy to do the right thing—with no added complexity. Schedule a demo today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Green IT?

Green IT is the use of environmentally friendly computing resources to lower ecological footprint and improve energy efficiency. Promoting a more sustainable future in technology depends on the implementation of Green IT policies.

How can businesses benefit from Green IT?

Green IT helps companies align themselves with sustainable practices, so improving customer satisfaction and enhancing their public image, which in turn lowers operational costs and strengthens their public image. Adopting these values not only helps the environment but also improves general corporate performance.

What are the environmental impacts of traditional IT?

Conventional IT methods significantly raise world energy use, carbon emissions, and produce considerable e-waste. This emphasizes how urgently the sectoral demand for more sustainable solutions has become.

What strategies can reduce energy consumption in IT?

Concentrate on using energy-efficient appliances, putting virtualization and cloud computing, and maximizing sophisticated power control elements to properly cut IT energy usage. These approaches can greatly reduce your operational costs and energy consumption.

What role do individuals play in Green IT?

Green IT relies heavily on people who use energy-efficient devices and adopt energy-saving habits, therefore advancing local sustainability. Through deliberate decisions, everyone can greatly help to advance environmental protection.