The environmental footprint of IT: the keys to acting

The environmental footprint of IT equipment represents a major challenge that no organization can respond to alone. Orange Business has therefore joined a workgroup within the Movin’On think tank with around twenty other companies to address the challenges of re-using IT equipment. The white paper that emerged from these shared discussions offers concrete suggestions for anyone who wants to take action now.

An ecosystem of stakeholders committed to reducing their carbon footprint

The manufacturing, usage and end-of-life stages of IT and telecoms equipment represent 70 to 80% of the Orange Group’s carbon footprint. That is why reducing this footprint is a top priority for Orange Business and its eco-responsibility strategy. This strategy is part of a wider national regulatory context designed to encourage this transition. For example, since February 2020, a “repairability index” must now be displayed with the aim of combatting planned obsolescence.

No company can respond to the current environmental and climate challenges alone. We are therefore putting our faith in the development of an ecosystem of partners and in our collective intelligence to find new solutions together. That is why Orange Business has joined Movin’On, the first worldwide ecosystem for strategic planning and shared innovation for sustainable mobility. Movin’On brings together over 300 public and private stakeholders committed to preserving resources and lowering emissions: large companies and start-ups alongside international and academic institutions. We have thus worked alongside dozens of companies in a community of interest dedicated to re-using IT equipment.

The keys for acting now

Within this collective, which is facilitated by the BNP Paribas subsidiary “3 Step IT,” members share their successes and the obstacles they have encountered, with the aim of learning from one another and identifying practical solutions. Orange Business was able to share its experience of the circular economy and the actions it put in place within the context of the Green Act Program, such as purchasing refurbished equipment through partnerships with certain suppliers or re-using and recycling IT, network, and telecoms equipment.

The community also wants to build on our discussions and share the fruit of our research with the widest possible audience. This was how the white paper, “The keys to minimizing the environmental impact of your IT equipment,” came about. This document offers concrete suggestions for improving company practice at every stage of the life cycle of IT equipment: production, purchasing, usage and management, recovery, refurbishment and recycling. Directors, heads of IT, and CSR managers will all be able to find answers to questions that everyone is asking: what actions should we take to reduce the environmental impact? What solutions already exist on the market? How are companies taking part in the circular economy?

Because the environmental impact of the sector is now a business topic in itself, this white paper also acts as a reminder that the entire value chain is being mobilized to co-develop new solutions using the building blocks of expertise provided by each partner.

Download the white paper: The keys to minimizing the environmental impact of your IT equipment – How to act at each stage in its life cycle.

Jérôme Goulard
Jérôme Goulard

I am the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethics at Orange Business across its entire perimeter (over 100 countries). My team's role is to steer the Orange Business CSR ambitions and coordinate related actions within different units: Sales, Marketing, Purchases, General Services, HR, Operations and Legal.