CASE STUDY
A 2021 Bloomberg Professional Services panel of experts from the region agreed that standardisation of data remains a challenge across the region , acknowledging 650 different metrics from various standard setters .
CIOs in the region need to think carefully about which frameworks and metrics to adopt , with whom they should work to verify this and how much information to disclose and how often .
What technology and solutions is Schneider-Electric bringing to the enterprise and data centre segment to tackle environmental sustainability in the Middle East ?
Achieving sustainability is all about information and the quality of it . An enterprise needs to be able to monitor and measure every aspect of operations to be able to manage and reduce emissions , through efficient , adaptable and resilient operation .
Accelerated cloud adoption has meant that enterprises have expanded their operations , making infrastructure complex . According to IDC , by the end of 2021 , based on pandemic lessons , most enterprises will put a mechanism in place to accelerate their shift to cloudcentric digital infrastructure and application services twice as fast as before the pandemic .
Today , that means evolving on-premises into and across clouds and right to the Edge . A company ’ s whole hybrid infrastructure must be sustainable . We have a range of tools and services , starting with our EcoStruxure portfolio , to span hybrid architectures , breaking down silos .
A key element of that is Data Centre Infrastructure Management ( DCIM ). That ’ s why we have modernised our EcoStruxure IT software portfolio for the monitoring , management , planning and modelling of IT physical infrastructure , with flexible deployment options that include on-premises and cloud-based solutions to support distributed IT environments from a few sites to thousands globally . It can pull data from and be integrated with other systems to meet the challenges CIOs are facing . With that range of apps , tools and services , combined with the strength of our partner ecosystem network , we have the breadth and depth of capability to help CIOs deliver sustainable , resilient and secure operations for their organisations .
What environmental sustainability metrics for data centres is Schneider- Electric encouraging CIOs to adopt for their IT environment in the Middle East ?
As the data centre industry has unique characteristics , such as high energy intensity , rapid growth , large power consumption and water usage , it requires specialised metrics . We firmly believe that standardising these metrics will help with adoption , improve benchmarking and progress sustainability within the industry .
In our comprehensive White Paper 67 on Environmental Sustainability Metrics for Data Centres , we propose five categories , which include 23 key metrics for data centre operators who are in the Beginning , Advanced and Leading stages of their sustainability journey . We also identify the 17 most relevant sustainability frameworks and standards to guide data centre operators in target setting , reporting and certifying .
The five categories are : energy , greenhouse gases ( GHG ) emissions , water , waste , land and biodiversity . Beginning with energy , GHG emissions and waste , as ESG programmes mature , additional categories can be added , such as waste and then land and biodiversity .
Shared , standardised metrics for sustainability will allow organisations to understand their performance and where they can improve to meet and exceed regulations , driving achievement in sustainability .
This has worked for us , as we have just recently been recognised again in two key indices , for the consecutive 11th year , Schneider Electric is CDP A List Climate Champion and Dow Jones Sustainability Index Industry Leader .
Given that the data centre sector is in the spotlight especially on environmental sustainability with every data centre solutions vendor stating their offering to be superior , what competitive edge does Schneider-Electric have in the data centre market in the region ?
In order to thrive in the current environment , businesses need not just a reliable technology vendor , they need the support of an entire ecosystem .
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