Sustainability is now a KPI: How ITAM is powering Green IT

Let’s cut to the chase - sustainability isn’t a side issue anymore. It’s no longer just a line in your annual report or a feel-good initiative tagged onto a few recycling bins...

It’s a hard KPI. And if your organization is serious about ESG, then ITAM can’t sit this one out.
 

The truth is, ITAM has been sitting on a goldmine of sustainability impact for years - and many didn’t even realize it. But that’s changing fast.

Green IT: Beyond the buzzwords

For a long time, “Green IT” sounded like marketing fluff. Nice in theory, but not really tied to core business metrics. That’s no longer the case. Today, more companies are waking up to the fact that their IT strategy - and more specifically, their IT Asset Management (ITAM) practices - can be a genuine driver of sustainability.

This is about more than just ticking boxes. It’s about using data and smart asset decisions to cut waste, reduce emissions, and get real results that move the ESG needle.

Longer lifecycles, smaller footprints

Let’s start with the basics. Every time you squeeze an extra year out of a laptop or delay replacing that server by six months, you ae reducing the embedded carbon footprint of that asset. Fewer new devices mean less manufacturing, fewer raw materials, and lower embedded carbon emissions. Extending asset life isn’t just good for budgets - it’s great for the planet.

ITAM teams have the data. Organizations are now leveraging ITAM data to support Scope 3 emissions reporting, reduce e-waste, and make informed procurement decisions, are devices genuinely underperforming, or are they still perfectly functional. That knowledge can - and should - drive more sustainable choices.

E-Waste is everyone’s problem now

The numbers don’t lie, e-waste is growing at an unsustainable rate, with global volumes expected to hit over 80 million metric tons by 2030. If your IT assets are ending their life in a waste container instead of being reused, recycled, or repurposed properly, you’re not just losing value - you’re adding to a global problem.

Forward-thinking organizations that care about sustainability are building responsible disposal into their ITAM policy. That means secure data wiping, ethical recycling, certified partners - the works. And ITAM is right at the center of making that happen.

Rethinking the Refresh Cycle

The old “refresh every three years” mantra? It’s outdated. A smarter approach looks at performance (actual usage metrics), energy efficiency, and ESG alignment - not arbitrary timelines. Some devices can go four or five years with no productivity hit. Others might need upgrading sooner for security or support reasons.

But the key is this: those decisions need to be intentional, not automatic. ITAM teams that align refreshes with environmental impact - as well as user needs - are helping their companies walk the sustainability talk.

ITAM’s ESG moment

This is where ITAM gets strategic. No more sitting in the shadows. The teams managing assets across the lifecycle are in a unique position to deliver measurable sustainability wins.

So here’s the bottom line: if your ITAM function isn’t plugged into your ESG strategy, it’s time for a rethink. Because Green IT is real. It’s measurable. And it’s happening now.

Let’s stop thinking of sustainability as someone else’s problem. IT has a big role to play - and ITAM is leading the charge.