TALKING
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As the world turns its attention to achieving its respective ambitious decarbonisation goals , Australia awaits clear guidance as to its plans to achieve net zero .
Yet with nothing set in stone , its incumbent on businesses in Australia to instead take the lead and not wait for policy to dictate their roadmaps .
Businesses within the ICT sector in Australia are at the forefront of those which should be primed to take a lead on the issue , particularly as it ’ s both a fast-growing sector in Australia and a significant contributor to the nation ’ s emissions .
One in five of the top 500 fastest-growing tech companies in the Asia-Pacific region are Australian , according to one report : not bad for a country with just a small fraction of the region ’ s population . In addition , it ’ s estimated that the technology sector alone contributed about AU $ 167 billion to the Australian economy in the 2021 fiscal year , with the Tech Council of Australia claiming that contribution could increase by AU $ 77 billion over the next decade .
fifth of the membership of RE100 – a leading global initiative that brings together hundreds of large businesses committed to adopting 100 % renewable electricity – are ICT companies , which have purchased nearly a quarter of total renewable energy available .
There is the potential for the Australian ICT sector to follow its global peers in accelerating the development of renewable energy opportunities across the country and region .
Joshua Martin , Senior Director of ENGIE Impact
The ICT sector continues to play a significant role in accelerating the transition to clean energy .
As the sector continues to grow , so too does its carbon footprint – our data forecast that the APAC region will be the fastest growing region of data centers over the next five years , representing an additional 800 megawatts ( MW ) of power consumption by this year alone . Of that , Sydney is expected to have the fourthlargest critical load in the region with over 300MW by this year .
Hitting the renewable energy mark
To take advantage of new opportunities provided by national initiatives , ICT companies with ambitious renewables goals must embed flexibility within their clean energy strategy and explore innovative solutions .
Meanwhile , the Australian Energy Council forecast that data centers could grow to consume a fifth of all the world ’ s energy by 2025 .
But amid those data there is hope ; globally , the ICT sector continues to play a significant role in accelerating the transition to clean energy . Almost a
Firstly , ICT leaders must develop a flexible strategy . Every country has its specific economic , technological and regulatory parameters , which must be dealt with on an individual basis . In devising a strategy that will successfully lead to increased use of renewables and ultimately to 100 % green energy , it is essential for leaders to familiarise themselves with the details of
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