Gartner: 75% of organizations will have data center infrastructure sustainability program by 2027

According to research by Gartner, by 2027, 75 per cent of organizations will have implemented a data center infrastructure sustainability program. This is a significant jump from the current figures; in 2022, only 5% had implemented such a program. 

The organization conducted a global survey of 221 IT leaders and found that sustainability is already moving away from a nice-to-have to a must-have.

Of those 221 surveyed, nearly 50 per cent (42%) agreed that making environmentally friendly choices bolsters growth, and set them apart from competitors. Further, 85% said sustainability protects organizations from disruption.

Commenting on some of the factors driving this, Senior principal analyst at Gartner, Autumn Stanish, said: "Responsibilities for sustainability are increasingly being passed down from CIOs to infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders to improve IT's environmental performance, particularly around data centers." This, Stanish explained, has led many down the path of greater spend and investment in environmental solutions. 

Stanish also said that environmental impact shouldn't be the only focus: "Sustainability can also have a significant positive impact on non-environmental factors, such as brand, innovation, resilience and attracting talent."

The report highlighted that the three main benefits of implementing sustainability strategies include: