A responsible digital approach: rethinking our information systems

According to the Shift Project report (2023), the digital sector accounts for between 2% and 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This figure, which is rising sharply, is mainly due to the multiplication of cloud services, massive data flows and storage, and the intensive use of IT infrastructures. This situation calls for in-depth reflection on digital sobriety and the adoption of more responsible practices.

In France,ADEME estimates that a company’s information systems account for an average of 25-50% of itsdigital ecological footprint, far more than its workstations. Between data center energy consumption, rapid hardware renewal, oversized applications and non-optimized software, the impacts are multiple and still poorly controlled.

How far have we really come in mapping and taking these impacts into account? And can we identify real avenues for progress that take them into account?

The environmental impact of digital technology: IS at the heart of ecological issues

Is IS the victim of a system beyond its control?

The mainenvironmental impact induced by IS is not specific to them, but is in fact linked to that of digital technology in the broadest sense. The manufacture of equipment, for example, generates the majority of thedigital carbon footprint. In Europe, this accounts for between 54% and 78% of the footprint, depending on the source. To better understand the global challenges of CSR, discover the preconceived ideas about CSR that must be overcome.

Natural resources under pressure: the hidden cost of digital technology

In addition to the energy consumption required for their manufacture, this equipment requires rare and polluting minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earths), often extracted under ecological and social conditions that raise questions. A good illustration of the emergence of new mineral requirements is the number of elements in the periodic table used in the pre-digital era, compared with the number used today.

The growing problem of electronic waste and recycling

This diversity of components also raises questions about the treatment of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which is more difficult to process due to its complexity. They require equally complex reuse and recycling circuits, putting to the test Lavoisier’s famous adage that “nothing is lost, everything is transformed”.

In response to these waste issues, we have seen the emergence of new regulatory pressures weighing on manufacturers (ESPR, AGEC) as well as on the states themselves (European WEEE directive). A first step towards awareness, but one which demonstrates the way in which these issues are dealt with.

Water consumption: the little-known challenge facing data centers

Fresh water is also a major digital topic, and in view of the current and future challenges surrounding water, it could become the main one. Where does this consumption take place? In addition to the water needs associated with resource extraction and materials manufacturing, the water cycle in digital technology continues with tool cooling.

To avoid overheating, data centers use two main cooling methods:

• Air cooling, less water-intensive but more energy-intensive
• And water cooling via various processes, which is far more efficient, but very water-hungry.

In addition to the impact of the tools used to operate IS, the IS themselves have a real and palpable environmental impact.

The invisible but massive weight of information systems: MBPI to the rescue

Published after more than 20 years of observation (2000-2023), it provides a complete and accurate assessment of the environmental impact of IS, based on carbon footprints, life cycle analyses and public and private feedback.

Energy-hungry, under-utilized servers

The first observation is that servers are under-utilized. Through IS, servers are often in constant operation, but with very low utilization: on average 5 to 15% in conventional environments, while they consume up to 50% of their maximum power, even when idle.

From the hosting providers’ point of view, this is necessary to guarantee continuous availability of services, even outside peak usage periods. This situation is compounded by inflexible infrastructures, a lack of dynamic management tools, a “just in case” culture in IT departments, and a lack of awareness of their environmental cost. The result: high, constant energy and water consumption for variable use.

Software bloat: when software becomes unnecessarily cumbersome

The second is that of “software bloat”, which refers to the addition of functionalities, enriched graphical interfaces and technical dependencies, often with no direct link to the real needs of users who make little or no use of them. The Shift Project (2021) cites Adobe Acrobat Reader in particular. Originally designed to read PDF files, it has become cumbersome with the addition of numerous little-used functions (editing, cloud, signature, etc.), consuming more RAM and CPU memory than necessary for a task as simple as reading a PDF file.

Digital infobesity: the problem of excessive storage

The third and final observation is that of digital infobesity, or more concretely, poorly managed storage. In the context of information systems, it is estimated that 40-60% of data stored in companies is never reused. This is sometimes referred to as “dark data”: data stored but useless or inaccessible, which generates a hidden environmental impact.

Although everyone agrees that it’s difficult to quantify this figure, it can be argued that, on a large scale, this accumulation forces us to buy ever more storage capacity, renew server racks, increase redundancy and mobilize costly cloud infrastructures, sometimes distributed on a global scale.

Ecological assessment of information systems: a twofold problem

To sum up, on the one hand, data centers, the energy heart of the IS and other physical hardware required for their use, are greedy in terms of raw materials, electricity and water, throughout their entire lifecycle. On the other hand, from design to use, the Si themselves are not designed to be responsible.

How do companies respond to the digital responsibility challenge?

IS rationalization: towards a more efficient architecture

Some large ESNs, for example, have made IS rationalization one of the major thrusts of their strategy, with the overall aim of reducing the impact of their digital activities. This involves mapping all the applications used in their tools, eliminating obsolete or under-used applications, pooling infrastructures and working with partners, and optimizing the overall energy consumption of IT services. This approach has two objectives: on the one hand, environmental efficiency, and on the other, the reduction of operating costs, two elements often linked in organizations’ sustainability strategies.

Eco-design and Green IT: rethinking software development

Others also offer Green IT solutions to reduce theenvironmental footprint of information systems. These include optimizing data center consumption through the use of renewable energies, practicing software eco-design to limit the waste of resources, and supporting customers with audits and optimization plans.

Green technologies and eco-responsible data centers

For its part, a software publisher like Oracle is putting sustainability at the heart of its activities by developing more efficient and eco-responsible cloud solutions. The company invests in energy-efficient data centers, using advanced and innovative cooling technologies (evaporative cooling, free cooling, liquid cooling, etc.) and renewable energy sources to reduce their carbon footprint.

With regard to information systems in particular, the Group is working on an eco-design dynamic to optimize its software to improve performance and limit resource consumption. In addition, Oracle offers environmental analysis and reporting tools to help its customers measure and reduce their digital impact. Yes, acting on one’s own practices is an important step, but trying to change the practices of one’s partners at the same time is fundamental in this quest for sustainability.

Complementary actions, therefore, that tackle the subject in a multidimensional way, dealing with both use and design, within the limits of the various players’ capabilities.

Green IS versus the dynamics of progress

From Green IT to Green IS: a systemic approach

These actions can be categorized as Green Information Systems(Green IS), which refer to all information systems designed, managed or used with a view to reducingenvironmental impact. Unlike Green IT, which focuses on operations, Green IS encompasses usage, business processes and the decisions they support.

They aim to help organizations achieve their sustainability objectives, for example, by optimizing supply chains, reducing energy consumption or steering CSR indicators via data. In other words, it’s not just a question of making IS “less polluting”, but also of making it an active lever for ecological transformation.

Obstacles to digital sobriety in the workplace

Despite all this interest and progress, many obstacles remain. Firstly, as with our consumption patterns, the pressure to constantly innovate feeds rapid obsolescence: each new software or hardware release relentlessly pushes for the replacement of what has already become obsolete (even without any concrete functional gain).

Secondly, the complexity of information systems makes it difficult to map the impact of their use: multiple technical bricks, dependencies and compartmentalized responsibilities hamper analysis and digital sobriety.

The paradox of performance versus sustainability

Added to this is a fundamental paradox: information systems are expected to be ever more powerful, available and responsive, while digital sobriety demands that we slow down, share and lighten up. This discrepancy between business objectives and ecological imperatives is holding back the adoption of more responsible practices, despite stated intentions.

This brings us face to face with a fundamental choice that goes beyond IS alone, and raises a systemic question: what is the true cost of performance? And above all, does this cost correspond to what we are really prepared to pay?

ESN and firms, acting on our own scale?

Governance and strategy: integrating digital responsibility into CSR

Reducing theenvironmental impact of information systems means integrating them into an organization’s CSR strategy. This implies responsible digital governance involving IT, CSR, business and purchasing departments. Precise and regular measurement of this impact is necessary to arbitrate on the choice of tools and usage. This approach is in line with the need to extend the scope of CSR beyond social issues, particularly in HR functions.

Training and awareness: cultivating digital sobriety

Training technical teams in eco-design and digital sobriety is also becoming a key lever for changing practices right from the tool design stage.

Partnerships and certifications: working with committed players

The choice of partners and green technologies aligned with these objectives, based for example on recognized certifications (Responsible Digital Label, Green Hosting, etc.) but also on their practices, is also decisive. These combined actions make it possible to reconcile digital performance and environmental responsibility, sometimes even adding a financial dimension to the benefits. Technologies such as AI can also contribute to this responsible digital approach, as shown by this use case on the strategic CSR projection of a real estate portfolio thanks to AI. When used properly, these tools can optimize resources while meeting environmental objectives.

The Responsible Digital Label: a concrete commitment

As a digital transformation firm, SQORUS wants to ensure that its commitments and practices are fully aligned with its constant desire to progress, while meeting the challenges of its environment. With this in mind, in 2025 the group adopted a systemic approach, integrating the notion of responsible digital at the heart of its corporate culture, byobtaining the Label Numérique Responsable.

This label, a French scheme launched in 2019 by the Institut du Numérique Responsable (INR) and theLUCIE agency, distinguishes organizations (companies, local authorities, ESNs, etc.) committed to a structured approach aimed at reducing the environmental, social and ethical impact of their digital practices. It is based on a demanding set of standards, built around five main pillars: digital sobriety, eco-design, inclusion and ethics, responsible governance and equipment sustainability.

Alongside more than 200 organizations already involved, including La Poste, MAIF, SNCF, Orange Business and Monoprix, SQORUS is part of a collective drive to promote more responsible digital practices.

SQORUS also supports its customers on the road to more responsible IS. If you are interested in this subject, please contact our teams.

” Digital technology can be a formidable lever for ecological transition… provided it is designed and used with sobriety. “Institut du Numérique Responsable (INR)