Companies are paying more attention to the importance of sustainability initiatives, as regulations increase around the world and consumers and business partners demand greater accountability for sustainability claims and targets. While many organizations now have decarbonization targets and see sustainability as a business imperative, they don’t always know what practical steps will help them achieve those goals.
IT infrastructure can represent a substantial portion of a company’s carbon emissions, so designing a sustainable infrastructure foundation is critical to creating a sustainable business. There are several aspects to consider—from where you choose to put your infrastructure to the companies you choose as partners.
In our series on building a sustainable infrastructure foundation, we first described how organizations can reduce carbon emissions and simplify climate reporting by migrating to more efficient data centers. Then, in the second post, we covered how to further optimize networking efficiency through virtualizing networking infrastructure. Now, in the third post, we’ll talk about the importance of joining a sustainable ecosystem of partners and service providers to build a responsible supply chain to further reduce emissions.
Why your ecosystem matters for sustainability
When we talk about a business ecosystem, we’re referring to a network of interconnected companies that interact and exchange value with one another. These networks help each participant survive and compete in the marketplace. In fact, ecosystems are so important that you can think of them as a fundamental part of your infrastructure.
As companies explore ways to further reduce carbon emissions, they need to think carefully about the sustainability of their business partners, service providers and supply chain participants. These indirect emissions from across a company’s supply chain are a major part of Scope 3 emissions, and they’re key to decarbonization. Not only that, but for complex global value chains, they can be a substantial portion of a company’s total emissions—up to 70% or more for some industries.[1]
Working with sustainable ecosystem partners isn’t just about abstract sustainability commitments either. With a more sustainable ecosystem, you can make efficiency gains that lead to cost savings and reduced total cost of ownership for goods and services. This is especially true for IT infrastructure and services.
It’s also worth noting that as data densities continue to increase with the rising adoption of AI and high-performance computing (HPC), highly efficient infrastructure will be necessary to support those compute demands. Companies will have to optimize technology to drive positive business outcomes. A robust and sustainable business ecosystem also helps an organization address its regulatory requirements and gain greater access to the services and solutions needed for innovation.
How to find sustainable partners and suppliers
To build a more sustainable ecosystem, you need to find the right partners and providers that have sustainability targets aligning with yours.
Equinix has one of the most robust global ecosystems of any data center provider. We’re home to 5,000+ enterprises, 3,000+ cloud and IT service providers, and 2,000+ network service providers, so our customers can connect to everything they need to succeed. And alongside building our own ambitious sustainability strategy, we’ve been working hard to partner with organizations that are also invested in sustainable solutions.
We’ve built joint IT solutions with partners that are prioritizing sustainability in their strategies, such as:
- Dell Technologies, which is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across their entire value chain by 2050 and to utilizing 100% recycled and renewable materials by 2030
- Cisco, which offers advanced energy-efficient networking hardware that minimizes power consumption to reduce your carbon footprint
- AT&T, which has committed to enabling their customers to reduce 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035 as part of the AT&T Connected Climate Initiative
You can search the Equinix partner directory here to find specific types of solutions available in our wider ecosystem.
Learn more about building a sustainable services ecosystem with Equinix.
Activating your ecosystem to drive growth
Working with sustainable ecosystem partners can play an important part in supporting your compliance reporting on new climate regulations. Alongside reinforcing your sustainability aims, your ecosystem should also promote innovation and growth. All organizations today have to balance the desire for economic growth with the reality that many of the resources required to drive that growth are finite. Consuming resources as efficiently as possible is both responsible and necessary. And everyone in the ecosystem benefits when we can maximize efficiency and drive innovation.
As you continue to build a sustainable infrastructure foundation for your business, Equinix offers amazing value capture:
- We have a strong sustainability posture, including our goal of procuring 100% clean and renewable energy across our global portfolio by 2030. Customers that migrate to our data centers receive the benefit of our renewables coverage.
- We have an unmatched ecosystem of clouds, network services and other IT solutions to help organizations maximize their competitive advantage.
In addition to the IT companies on our platform, our broader ecosystem also includes our customers, employees and communities. At Equinix, we’re invested in operating responsibly to support the communities where we operate by bridging the digital divide, supporting local decarbonation efforts and bringing renewable sources of energy. In fact, our customers—and their customers—demand it. Not only that, but our employees want to do work that matters and aligns to the community’s needs.
Download our white paper Digitally transform and accelerate your sustainability goals to learn more about how to optimize your digital transformation while contributing to your sustainability goals.
If you’re ready to take the next step, contact Equinix today.
[1] Pim Valdre and Jay Hawkins, Scope 3 emissions are key to decarbonization – but what are they and how do we tackle them? World Economic Forum, September 19, 2023.
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