As we all face the realities of the climate emergency, we need to make sustainability a core business priority. However, as we seek to meet environmental targets and reduce our carbon footprints, one area that is often overlooked is sustainable networking. Data centres, network hardware, and IT systems have become essential to our business operations, but they also consume vast amounts of energy and contribute to electronic waste.
Yet, we have the expertise and technology to change that. Sustainable networking approaches, such as energy-efficient systems, optimising network traffic, and leveraging cloud solutions, significantly reduce environmental impact without compromising performance. These also enable your business to adhere to increasing compliance regulations and meet your corporate sustainability goals.
In this blog, we highlight the environmental impact of traditional networking and offer key strategies you can adopt to build a more sustainable network. We also share the business benefits of going green, emphasising how shifting towards sustainable networking isn’t just about doing your bit for the planet; it also delivers cost savings, enhances efficiency, and strengthens your brand reputation.
Why Is the Environmental Impact of Traditional Networking a Worry?
When you log onto your laptop or mobile device, do you consider what goes on behind the scenes of your internet connection? Emails ping across the globe in an instant, video calls bring teams together across time zones, and cloud applications keep businesses running 24/7. But all this connectivity comes at an environmental cost, and it’s one that’s growing rapidly.
Networks keep most of our businesses running, but beneath the surface, they are an energy-hungry operation. Data centres, where everything from emails and applications to video calls are processed, consume around 1% of the world’s electricity. Moreover, despite recent improvements in energy efficiency, Goldman Sachs Research estimates that data centre power demand will grow 160% by 2030, with the increased energy demands of AI (artificial intelligence) being a significant contributing factor. And it’s not just the servers that demand power. Cooling systems run constantly to stop them from overheating, adding to the carbon footprint.
Then there’s the hardware itself. Routers, switches, and cables don’t last forever, and as technology evolves, old equipment is quickly discarded. In 2022, a record 62 million tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) was produced, up 82% from 2010. Even cloud computing, while more efficient, still relies on energy-intensive data centres.
Sustainability is a huge concern. However, businesses must consider other factors, such as rising energy costs, growing data demands, and increasing regulations. Consequently, the impact of our networks is becoming an issue that we can no longer afford to ignore.
But it's not all doom and gloom! Greener solutions are available, and in the next section, we'll take a closer look at these.
How Efficiency Meets Sustainability with a Smarter Network Approach
Building greener networks is about much more than making minor tweaks. We need to take bigger action now and implement smarter, more efficient solutions that cut energy use and reduce waste. It’s worth it to take care of the future of our planet. But the great thing is, it will also cut costs and boost performance for your business, too!
Here are some strategies that support sustainable networking.
1. Energy-Efficient Hardware
Networking gear isn’t created equal. Many older routers, switches, and firewalls drain unnecessary power just by being outdated. By ditching these electricity guzzlers and switching to energy-efficient hardware, your business can dramatically lower energy use and costs without compromising performance.
In addition, many modern devices now include smart power management features or automated energy-saving modes. These power down unused hardware or reduce consumption when traffic is low without affecting user experience.
2. Cloud Optimisation
The evolution of cloud computing has created a massive step forward in sustainable networking. By shifting your processing requirements to multi-tenant, eco-friendly data centres, your business can reduce reliance on energy-hungry on-premises servers and share resources to reduce your carbon footprint.
Virtualisation takes it a step further. It helps reduce energy consumption and cuts down on hardware needs, power usage, and e-waste by enabling multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server.
3. Green Data Centres and Renewable Energy
Data centres don’t have to cost the earth (literally!). Many providers are advancing their offerings to be more sustainable. Therefore, if you are choosing a data centre for your operations, look for providers that have invested in carbon-neutral, water-efficient facilities that run on solar, wind, or hydroelectric power.
We can also look to AI for help in our sustainability efforts. It can be used to predict the best level of cooling for data centre operations by analysing real-time data to reduce energy consumption while improving efficiency.
4. Network Optimisation for Lower Energy Consumption
Optimising your network is a great way to improve performance and user experience. But did you know that a well-optimised network also uses less energy?
Look to implement network solutions, such as SD-WAN, which intelligently allocates resources, ensuring energy isn’t wasted while improving performance across your distributed locations. Meanwhile, developments in AI-powered network traffic management solutions show good progress in supporting sustainability. With AI analysing network patterns and anomalies, these aim to cut unnecessary bandwidth use and further optimise efficiency.
Edge computing [1] is another emerging network approach that contributes to better sustainability. By processing data closer to the source, edge computing reduces the need for power-draining, long-distance data transfers.
5. Sustainable Lifecycle Management
When adopting sustainable networking approaches, you must also consider how your networks are maintained. Old networking gear doesn't have to end up in a landfill. Refurbishing, reselling, or recycling equipment extends its life and keeps waste down. Partnering with vendors who design modular, upgradeable hardware also helps, ensuring devices last longer instead of being replaced prematurely.
How Can Sustainable Networking Benefit Your Business?
Sustainable networking is vital for reducing environmental impact, and we're at a critical point where we all need to take action. But adopting these processes will deliver great value for business, too!
Here’s how:
Lower Costs: Energy-efficient hardware, cloud optimisation, and smart routing will reduce electricity bills and infrastructure spending.
Regulatory Compliance: With sustainability regulations tightening, a greener network will help your business stay ahead of environmental requirements.
Enhanced Reputation: Customers and stakeholders increasingly favour businesses that prioritise sustainability. Demonstrating sustainable networking will give your business a competitive edge.
Improved Efficiency & Performance: Sustainable networks are smarter. They optimise performance while minimising waste by using AI-driven traffic management, SD-WAN, and cloud-based solutions.
Future-Proofing: Investing in sustainable infrastructure now will ensure your network is scalable, efficient, and ready for your evolving business needs.
Ultimately, sustainable networking strategies enable your business to reduce its carbon footprint while driving efficiency and cost savings - a win-win for growth and sustainability.
How Our Managed Network Services Support Sustainability
Building a sustainable network requires the right expertise, technology, and strategy. That’s where Hughes comes in. As a forward-thinking Managed Network Services provider, we help businesses reduce energy waste, optimise infrastructure, and adopt eco-friendly solutions without compromising performance.
We deliver tailored, scalable network solutions, including Managed SD-WAN, cloud-based frameworks such as Managed SASE, and multi-transport connectivity like Wireless WAN. Moreover, our network monitoring and optimisation services further enhance efficiency while lowering energy consumption.
Sustainable networking is more than just good for the planet; it’s a smart business move that cuts costs while boosting efficiency, compliance, and reputation.
Ready to future-proof your network? Get in touch to explore how we can help you implement greener, smarter solutions.