Carlos Elena-Lenz
Sustainability GTM, Strategy & Solutions, Hitachi Digital Services
September 26, 2023
As epic heatwaves, wildfires, and warming oceans once again ravaged the planet this summer, organizations are looking more closely at the potential negative impact of their businesses on the climate crisis.
And for many, the biggest hurdle continues to be determining where to begin. This was brought home in our recent global survey, where of the 1,000 technology leaders who responded, 40% said they lack any kind of sustainability strategy or implementation plan.
For those who have yet to take an introspective sustainability look, it’s important to realize that governments, and industry itself, are not waiting. In January, the European Union enacted its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) that requires all large companies to begin in 2024 disclosing information on the “risks and opportunities arising from social and environmental issues, and on the impact of their activities on people and the environment.” In the U.S. the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to consider new environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rules that would require all publicly traded companies to disclose “climate-related risks” to help investors managing “tens of trillions of dollars in assets” make more informed decisions.
On the corporate end, sustainability is seeping into more facets of business. Our company, for example, like many others, has built ESG language into the requests for proposals (RFP) that we send to partners. Likewise, we are being asked with increasing frequency to share our own ESG positions with clients and partners. As our CEO, Gajen Kandiah, wrote on Earth Day, it is simply the new way of doing business.
So, again, the question for many becomes, where to begin? We’ve worked and partnered with so many great enterprises over the years that we have a good understanding of potential carbon hotspots and opportunities for reduction. We leveraged this expertise to create what we believe is a clear four-pronged approach to helping organizations get a foothold on saving energy, reducing emissions, and improving efficiencies; it’s an approach that is practical and pragmatic and will aid their business, as well as the planet.
We call them our new Decarbonization Services & Solutions and at the heart of the effort is the belief that sustainability is not a one-and-done proposition. As Gajen also stated in his story, sustainability is not a trend. We set out to craft an approach that enabled customers and partners to achieve their sustainability targets and then continuously maintain and improve them over time.
The solutions and services center on distinct areas of business – areas in which companies can make quick, dramatic, and lasting impact: IT, manufacturing, facilities management, and analytics.
In our opinion, where an organization begins their sustainability journey is not as important as simply starting the journey. With these new environmental-focused offerings, we’re working to illuminate tangible options that can accelerate positive outcomes. From a sustainability standpoint, we are all part of the same global transformation, and all with a shared responsibility to adopt sustainable business practices. When we work together, it’ll be good for business and the planet.
Carlos manages sustainability services at Hitachi Digital Services, including IT and industrial decarbonization and commercial EV transition, supporting global need to realize green transformation (GX). He held a similar digital innovation position at Hitachi Vantara.
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