Sustainability initiatives are largely driven by data, and CIOs are uniquely positioned to ensure their organizations have the right data necessary to drive collaborative decision-making practices that influence sustainability.
In recent years, IT groups have helped a wide range of organizations improve sustainability initiatives by creating infrastructure that allows them to collect and analyze related data. Apparel maker Vuori uses its data to drive sustainability goals regarding waste reduction, its carbon footprint, and managing raw materials. And Choice Hotels has used data derived from utility providers to identify sustainability issues like leaking swimming pools.
By leading tech-related opportunities to measure sustainability KPIs, and even helping determine which ones to measure, CIOs bring critical information to collaborative sustainability efforts. Plus, collecting and presenting data helps CIOs and other decision-makers understand the outcomes of particular business decisions, identify inefficiencies that might otherwise go overlooked, and identify opportunities for improvement. With these resources, CIOs can often initiate and drive the conversation surrounding sustainability.
