Aiven tackles carbon emissions in tech ahead of World Earth Day

With World Earth Day on the horizon, set for 22nd April, Aiven continues to express its commitment to sustainability in the tech sector. The tech sector demands attention due to the same volume of carbon emissions it produces as the aviation industry. As the Australian Government tightens regulations through the introduction of mandatory climate-related reporting requirements, the role of sustainable operations within the technology sphere is gaining prominence.

Michael Coates, Senior Solution Architect at Aiven ANZ, provided his view on this complex issue. He raised an intriguing comparison, remarking that "the tech sector is responsible for the same volume of carbon emissions as the aviation industry". This reinforces the matter's urgency, stressing the need to monitor and optimise resource usage as cloud workloads and data centres expand.

Coates explained the necessity of accurate emissions data, which organisations can utilise to make informed decisions, such as transferring the workload to a more sustainable datacentre or optimising software architecture. He suggested these measures could mirror motions made by companies to relocate their teams into eco-friendlier offices. "Less resources used in the cloud reduces your emissions, and so too your costs. This is where sustainability becomes part of your business model," he stated.

Australia's government plans to enforce mandatory climate-related reporting requirements, obligating enterprises to disclose climate-related risks and opportunities, as well as greenhouse gas emissions data across their value chain by 2025. Aiven recognises the challenges this new requirement poses for businesses striving to collect, store and analyse vast amounts of emissions data from various sources. Complications arise particularly concerning reliable and accessible cloud emissions data amidst these climate regulations.

Aiven is no stranger to these challenges and has dedicated itself to assist companies in managing their carbon emissions and meeting Australia's strict ESG reporting requirements. Coates mentioned Aiven's implementation in Python of the Cloud Carbon Footprint, an open-source solution originally created by Thoughtworks to calculate and reduce CO2 emissions. Major customers from the retail, energy, and transportation sectors, who already have established sustainability targets, are currently utilising this tool to monitor their emissions and decide where to run their cloud workloads. They can measure their emission levels before and after migrating through the Aiven platform or directly start with a new workload in a more sustainable data centre.

Coates also remarked that the aforementioned steps are only half of the solution. Aiven also aids customers and other organisations by understanding and subsequently reducing the environmental impact of their use of Aiven services, such as optimising energy sources and reducing overconsumption. As we move towards a future threatened by climate change, Coates emphasises the importance of integrating sustainability into cloud optimisation strategies for a greener, efficient cloud computing landscape.