Colt research reveals opportunities for network providers as businesses seek advice on sustainability and AI
Published by Colt Technology Services on January 28, 2025
Sustainability credentials influence buyer decisions as businesses hold providers accountable, finds data from 1500 IT leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East
Colt Technology Services, the digital infrastructure company, today releases new findings from its latest Digital Infrastructure Report which reveal the emerging role of the network provider as a trusted sustainability expert. The report also highlights the growing influence of ESG credentials in commercial decisions. 22% of global IT leaders from the 1500 companies surveyed seek guidance from their network providers on reusing and recycling hardware – rising to 38% in Luxembourg – while more than one in five (21%) IT leaders surveyed wants information on how AI can impact sustainability goals. One in five (20%) is looking for support around sustainability best practice and 20% are looking for guidance on Scope 3 compliance.
The report outlines expectations around providers’ ESG credentials and establishes how influential these factors are for CIOs in their buying decisions. When asked to rate the influence of different ESG measures on their buying decisions, almost seven in ten (69%) of the CIOs surveyed say that access to data for scope 3 emissions reporting is the most important factor.
68% of CIOs questioned – rising to 85% in Hong Kong – call out the importance of robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE and I) initiatives, with 31% stating this is of critical importance.
68% of respondents are influenced by a provider’s science-based carbon reduction targets, while almost one in three (30%) say it is of critical importance for a provider to offer services which help buyers reduce their own environmental impact. 65% of respondents cite the importance of a provider having ‘a broad sustainability strategy at corporate level’ in their buying decisions.
When questioned on the actions buyers would take if their current provider’s ESG values did not align with their own, 62% would call out network providers and suggest they review their goals, while 16% would take a stronger stance and would leave them altogether.
Buddy Bayer, Chief Operating Officer, Colt Technology Services said, “As an industry, we’ve worked incredibly hard to understand, measure and minimise our impact on the environment, not just because it’s the right thing to do but because the alternative is unimaginable. If we’re going to truly make a difference, we have to come together to share best practice and advice, and we must hold each other accountable for our ESG progress.”
The data builds on earlier findings released from the report, which revealed that responsibility for businesses’ sustainability strategies is now more likely to fall under the remit of IT leaders, with more than seven in ten either fully or partly responsible.
Further highlights include:
- 20% of the 1500 IT leaders surveyed want information from providers on geographic optimisation – for example, how to select a data centre which uses on-site renewable generation
- 20% seek advice from network providers on temporal optimisation – moving workloads to off-peak times, for example – rising to more than one in four (26%) in Germany and Hong Kong
- 19% are looking for guidance from network providers on carbon reporting, rising to 26% for the UK and 25% for Hong Kong, dropping to 11% for France.
- 18% are looking for support from network providers around flexible, consumption-based network services and 19% around environmental impact best practice (rising to 28% for Belgium)
- When choosing a network provider, 67% look for a robust governance framework and the same percentage also look for an inclusive social policy
- For 66% respondents, a ‘pay as you go’ consumption-based network service is important, for businesses to reduce emissions and energy consumption
“Businesses are telling us loud and clear what they want,” said Buddy. “Now, it’s up to us as owners of responsible, sustainable digital infrastructure, to deliver. It’s a tremendous opportunity.”
For more information, please download the Digital Infrastructure Report 2024 here. You can find out more about Colt’s ESG journey and download Colt’s Sustainability Report 2023 here.
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Colt Technology Services, among a sample of 1,501 CIOs in the UK, USA, Italy, France, Germany, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Benelux. These leaders work at businesses that employ between 2,500 and 15,000+ employees, with annual IT spending in the range of less than €100,000 to €500m and over.
Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
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