Actionable ESG Strategies for the CIO

Actionable ESG Strategies for the CIO

This IDC Perspective explores how the CIO can prepare for new requirements and operationalize sustainability in terms of IT's environmental, social, and governance impact. As the world is challenged to place people and the planet ahead of purely profit-based interests, ESG is a quickly emerging business and government imperative. All organizations are compelled to reduce their environmental impact and improve their social consciousness, and the CIO can materially contribute to ESG strategies and measurements as their organization both defines targets and delivers impactful outcomes. The IT organization is uniquely positioned to operationalize ESG strategies and initiatives across internal functions and through technology and service consumption; IT can improve environmental impacts through technical inventory, drive awareness and results against social risk benchmarks, and support and enable strong sustainability governance."As organizations are driven from platitudes and posters to demonstrative practices, the CIO and IT organization can contribute high-value outcomes for sustainability," says Alizabeth Calder, IDC adjunct research advisor with IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP). "Boards, CEOs, and leadership teams face new and difficult risks around the actual impact they are having. With the increasing footprint of the digital business, the CIO owes it to their organization and their team to be proactive on greener technology strategies, accountable for people strategies, and proactive for integrated reporting and oversight in support of meeting stakeholder expectations around this new business imperative."

Please Note: Extended description available upon request.