How ITAM powers sustainable IT: a practical guide to GreenOps

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword anymore – an increasing number of organizations are shifting their focus to incorporate it into their business models.

With rising energy costs, increased regulatory pressure, and growing stakeholder expectations, organizations are being pushed to take real, measurable action on their environmental impact. And IT is right in the middle of that conversation.

Green IT - or GreenOps, as it’s increasingly called - is gaining traction because it sits at the intersection of technology and sustainability. It’s not about perfection or PR spin. It’s about doing the right thing with the resources you already manage every day.

But where do you start?

In our experience, one of the most practical - and powerful - enablers of sustainable IT is IT Asset Management (ITAM). ITAM gives you the visibility, control, and insight needed to act on sustainability goals in a meaningful way.

What Is GreenOps - and how does it fit within sustainability?

Let’s get one thing straight: GreenOps isn’t a replacement for sustainability - it’s part of it.

Think of sustainability as the umbrella goal set at the organization level. GreenOps sits underneath, acting as a set of practices that integrate environmental thinking into IT operations. That means everything - from reducing energy usage to extending the life of hardware, right through to responsible disposal.

But GreenOps isn’t always simple. There’s nuance. Sometimes the sustainable option isn’t the cheapest or most efficient one. That complexity is part of what makes this space so challenging - and so important to get right.

The sustainability challenges facing IT teams today

Before we dive into solutions, let’s talk about some sustainability challenges.

Energy use is surging

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data center electricity consumption hit 460 terawatt-hours in 2022. That’s about 2% of global demand - and it's expected to more than double to 1,000 terawatt-hours by 2026. That’s a 117% increase!

That 2% might not sound dramatic, until you break it down. In Ireland, for example, 17% of all electricity consumption in 2022 came from data centers. That figure is projected to hit 32% by 2026. The implications for energy grids, costs, and carbon emissions are huge.

E-Waste is a hidden crisis

The UN’s Global E-Waste Monitor (2024) reported 62 million tons of e-waste generated in 2022 alone - over 7.5 kg per person. It’s like throwing out all your equipment - laptop, desktop, monitors, phone - every year. And it’s projected to reach 82 million tons by 2030. That’s an environmental and ethical challenge we can’t ignore.

The cloud isn’t “free”

There’s a temptation to assume moving to the cloud solves sustainability problems. But cloud workloads still consume real-world resources, often in ways that are less visible and harder to track.

Where ITAM comes in: laying the groundwork for GreenOps

GreenOps requires action, and action requires data. That’s where ITAM plays a critical role. It provides the visibility and structure needed to make informed decisions - not just about cost or compliance, but about sustainability.

Here’s how:

Identify energy hotspots: ITAM can highlight power-hungry devices or workloads, like servers running full tilt for no good reason, or zombie servers doing nothing at all.

Optimize resource utilization: Over-provisioned or underused assets can be consolidated or powered down, reducing both energy use and cost.

Extend hardware lifecycles: A core GreenOps principle is extending the usable life of devices. ITAM tracks asset age, warranty status, and maintenance history, enabling smarter refresh decisions.

Rationalize software and SaaS: Unused or duplicate software wastes energy - especially if it’s always-on, cloud-hosted, or tied to redundant infrastructure.

Enable responsible disposal: ITAM isn’t just about acquisition. It’s also about end-of-life management. That means knowing where your assets go, who handles them, and whether they’re recycled according to proper standards.

Building a GreenOps-enabled ITAM practice

To make all this real, it helps to approach GreenOps in phases:

1. Assessment and planning

Start by defining goals that are specific and measurable, for example:

• Reduce data center energy use by 15%
• Cut e-waste by 10% year over year

Next, assess your ITAM maturity. Can your current tools track sustainability attributes - even indirectly? If not, consider integrating them with systems that can.

And finally, identify your internal allies. Procurement, operations, and sustainability teams all have a role to play.

Don’t boil the ocean. Start with achievable pilots, for example:

• One data center
• One asset class (e.g., laptops or servers)
• A targeted power management strategy

Then layer in automation to ensure the process is scalable and repeatable.

Track your metrics regularly, not quarterly when it’s too late. Share reports with stakeholders. Translate stats into real-world impact. For example, “a 1% efficiency gain saved X kWh - the equivalent of powering Y homes.”

From theory to practice: 5 Quick Wins you can start today

1. Identify zombie servers and schedule shutdowns or decommissioning.
2. Extend refresh cycles where performance allows, especially for laptops and desktops.
3. Rationalize unused software to reduce power draw.
4. Audit your disposal vendors, make sure they’re certified and traceable.
5. Use ITAM tools to identify idle or oversized cloud resources, and right-size them.

The strategic opportunity: ITAM as a GreenOps enabler

This isn’t just about “greening” IT for optics. When done well, GreenOps contributes to:

• Brand reputation
• Investor confidence
• Regulatory readiness
• And yes - real cost savings

But here’s the thing: ITAM isn’t just supportive here, it’s foundational. Because it holds the data. Because it enables the strategy. Because without ITAM, there’s no visibility. And without visibility, there’s no action!

Final Thoughts

Green IT is no longer a niche concern. It’s mainstream, and it’s accelerating. But real change doesn’t come from slogans - it comes from structure, data, and action.

So if you’re wondering where to begin, start here: with your ITAM practice. It already holds the keys to smarter, greener operations.

And if you’ve already started? Share your wins. Even the small ones matter.

Because sustainability isn’t just about saving the planet - it’s about making smart, resilient, responsible decisions that benefit your business too.