Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) also applies to IT resources. With the digital transformation, CIOs are faced with an accumulation of software licenses and hardware purchases that have direct consequences on the environment and the negative ecological impact of the company. In this case, how can CIOs play a role in a global CSR and Green IT approach and be a pillar in resource management? 

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CSR in IT: what are we talking about?

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When a company starts a CSR initiative, all of its services and their impact are concerned. Let's take a look at what CSR involves in the broadest sense and how it operates within the IT department. 

Definition of CSR

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Corporate Social Responsibility is an approach that aims to calculate and then reduce the negative impact of a company on the environmental, social and financial levels. Its counterpart is of course to increase its positive impact in these different areas. In other words, it is a question of fully committing to sustainable development.

Although companies do not have numerical targets, since 2020 and the PACTE law (Action Plan for Growth and Transformation of Companies), they must take into account "the societal and environmental issues of [their] activity" (Article 1833 of the Civil Code). 

On the other hand, companies with more than 500 employees or a turnover exceeding 100 million euros are required to produce a report on their approach. This does not prevent smaller organizations from producing one as well to show their investment in this area and to improve their operations in a concrete way.

To do this, companies are invited to follow the recommendations and guidelines of the international standard ISO 26000. As with all ISO standards, it is not mandatory, but it allows companies to launch their CSR approach step by step.

Impact of CSR in ISD and IT resources

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CSR directly affects the IT department and its role can become a lever for a reasoned use of software and hardware and an approach aimed at digital traceability. This applies to both everyday business tools such as the Cloud and the very design of these solutions: SaaS software, 5G, AI products and IoT. 

In the management of IT resources, the IT department is in the front line to provide improvement guidelines and propose a green IT vision in the choice of software and terminals (computers, smartphones, tablets and other IT devices). 

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What are the negative consequences of using IT resources?

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According to Lancaster University researchers, at the global level, ICT tools generate between 2.1 and 3.9% of total CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Rates that have increased over time as digitalization has taken over all sectors. So much so that the use of software licenses is constantly increasing. 

Moreover, IT tools themselves have a negative impact, as their manufacture requires energy and materials, starting with minerals, the extraction of which is incompatible with CSR principles, to say the least. Added to this is the difficulty of recycling them. 

Another consequence is that the use of ICTs also generates problems concerning the amount of information to be processed by employees and the blurring of the boundaries between personal and professional life. People are therefore directly concerned by CSR and green IT issues. Digital sobriety is therefore a major issue.

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How to evangelize your employees to a better mastery of digital resources?

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The CIO also plays a fundamental role in the reasoned management of ICT usage and choices. Hence the importance of getting the message across to the teams for a coherent CSR policy in this area too. 

Three subjects are particularly important to him:

1. The durability of computer equipment 
2. Reducing the energy consumption of software used to move towards digital sobriety
3. The use of ICT on employees

So, if the CSR approach is led by a particular department, it should be made clear to them the importance of having the IT department represented in their policy to ensure consistency at all levels. This is because IT management is directly linked to the company's strategy and to the transversal aspect of digitalization, both as a "day-to-day" work tool and as a development and design tool. 

In this respect, CIOs can implement concrete actions in conjunction with management:

• The purchase of repairable, recyclable or even reconditioned terminals. In this field, it is now essential to refer to the reparability index before buying equipment.
• Measuring the carbon footprint with a tool like Aktio.
• Avoid over-equipping employees, both in terms of hardware and computer licenses granted.
• The donation of materials that can no longer be used to associations that fight against digital insecurity, such as Emmaus Connect. This can be part of a commitment to solidarity within the company.

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More broadly, it is a matter of implementing a responsible purchasing policy for ICT tools, with the choice of suppliers who act in this sense. This is an important lever for making a real difference. 

One of the pillars of the CSR strategy

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Faced with the power of digital technology and the need for an optimized digital transformation, IT departments must be able to support the proper use of software and hardware by their teams. To do this, the resource management software integrates the CSR principles of IT at the root. Having a mapping of what each employee is equipped with is essential. Triggering the right equipment requests at each arrival, and cutting off all accesses when an employee leaves, is an active participation in reducing the company's carbon footprint.

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These good practices must be concretely reflected in internal documentation in order to show their essential character. But this is not enough. The ISD and its recommendations must also be part of the CSR approach and not be sidelined as an additional axis. To achieve this, the support of management is fundamental.

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