The sustainability edge: why it matters for your cloud provider to be green
Individual responsibility is a myth, but we still have a role to play as consumers of products.
In a world where technological advancements drive business and day-to-day activities, the cloud is an omnipotent enabler. Yet, behind the glow of instantaneous connectivity and seemingly limitless data storage (spoiler: there is no such thing as limitless), there’s an undercurrent of resource consumption that our planet, and perhaps our conscience, can no longer ignore.
The narrative around the cloud has significantly evolved in recent years, trying to place sustainability at its heart. We want to be more sustainable. We need to be.
However, the gravity of ‘going green’ for cloud service providers is often underestimated. Here at Hivenet, we argue that it’s not just an element of desirability but a critical performance indicator, and an ethos we must all adopt.
The green cloud: a performance benchmark beyond public relations
There is no doubt that cloud technology has revolutionized the way we compute, communicate, and transact. Just look at your phone- an in-built, cloud-powered ecosystem of apps and services. It’s a little miracle. However, this also comes at a not-so-miraculous cost.
The environmental impact of our cloud tech is a weight on the more sustainable future we strive for. It’s high time we see the greenness of a cloud service provider not as mere virtue-signaling but as imperative in how we gauge their efficacy. It’s time we start doing some finger-pointing at greenwashing as the deceptive practice that it is, a desperate try to exaggerate or fabricate environmental efforts, which, sadly, is notably prevalent in the tech industry. This issue is critical as the sector’s carbon footprint grows, driven by increasing demand for digital technology and devices.
Let’s not forget that the tech industry is responsible for nearly 3% of global carbon emissions. Should we be lying about that as well?
A green cloud isn’t an add-on feature; it’s indicative of an infrastructure that’s resilient and dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint.
Consider the distributed cloud as a leading example. By harnessing the idle resources of a community of interconnected devices, the environmental benefits are inherent. It promises a great reduction in energy usage and a way to reshape the fabric of the cloud industry, making eco-friendly technology the new standard.
Ethical alignment with evolving consumer values
The modern consumer is sophisticated. When they throw their money to purchase a product or a service, they endorse a vision, an identity. Companies that align with their values often earn their loyalty.
It makes sense if you think about it. We, the people, are inextricably linked. Consumer behavior shapes markets and economies as a whole. It’s why you see more electric cars on the road than ever before; it’s why ESG investments are growing at an unprecedented pace. It’s why we prefer organic to chemically-grown food (even though most people can’t really afford it).
Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have but a fundamental value consumers demand from businesses they support. This shift doesn’t seem like a trend (at least, we hope not), but more of a reflection of a modern social contract between providers and users. You prove that you care and we will choose you over your competitors, the customers seem to say.
That means sustainability is no longer a secondary consideration swept aside by convenience. As end-users grow more informed, their preferences lean towards the environmentally responsible. They seek transparency and accountability — attributes synonymous with green cloud providers like Hive. They appreciate open-source initiatives and a combative spirit against the status quo.
Sustainability needs to be at the core of every business strategy, including the cloud’s, or rather… especially the cloud’s.
Making sustainability more than a slogan
Sustainability in the tech world sometimes feels like a feel-good measure.
The illusion of being green seems to be more important than actually being green. Big Tech, especially, practices measures like carbon offsetting, often clad in the radiant armor of environmentalism, yet it can fall short of real change. True innovation lies not in merely balancing the scales of emissions with compensatory gestures but in building an infrastructure that inherently emits less.
We don’t have time for half-measures. We are already late.
Sustainability should be a fundamental criterion, and it will become increasingly integral to consumers and businesses selecting a cloud service provider.
That’s why this piece doesn’t advocate for mere lip service to environmentalism; we know better than that.
It calls for action and a conscious choice. We believe that technology and nature can coexist and that it’s our collective responsibility to ensure that we choose cloud solutions that fit our needs and are aligned with a vision of a greener planet.
The future of the cloud is as much about the capabilities it provides as it is about the legacy it leaves. We stand at the cusp of change, and it starts with the selections we make and the ecosystems we support. It’s time we expect more from our cloud providers. It’s a conversation we need to lead, choices we need to make, and standards we need to set.
Sustainability is not a passing wave.
The path ahead: a collective responsibility to a sustainable cloud
The transition to a greener cloud isn’t without its challenges, but it’s on a trajectory that spells an inevitable conclusion. Our commitment to a sustainable cloud must be unwavering. Individuals, businesses, and governments share the onus of steering this transition. It calls for a proactive approach, from developing greener data centers to encouraging the adoption of distributed cloud models.
We can no longer afford to view the cloud in isolation, divorced from the ecological context. The choices we make, and the habits we form as consumers of the cloud will resonate with our wider impact on the planet.
It’s time to open the discussion on what it means for the cloud to be ‘forward-thinking.’
Does sustainability really matter?
Yes, it does.
The stakes have never been higher, but the opportunities have never been more profound. The ‘greenness’ of our cloud providers holds the key to a smart, sustainable, and secure digital future. It’s an emphasis that resonates with our core values here at Hive, and it must become a non-negotiable trait when consumers evaluate cloud services.
As tech innovators, as stewards of the environment, but first and foremost as human beings who live on a planet with finite resources, it’s our task to leverage technology for a positive change, and in this case, that change is unequivocally green.
The era of the sustainable cloud beckons us, and it’s time to answer the call.
This article was written by Thanasis Karavasilis, Hivenet’s resident writer.
