New research launched this week by Blancco Technology Group, which specializes in data erasure and mobile lifecycle solutions, explores the environmental impact of data footprints, current attitudes to sustainable end-of-life (EOL) data management, and Scope 3 emissions measurement among healthcare and financial services organizations.
Based on a global survey of 1,800 respondents, the study, The Sustainability Costs of End-of-Life Data, found that for 88 per cent of businesses, environmental sustainability has a high to moderate influence on their approach to processing EOL data.
However, more than a third (39 per cent) have yet to implement a plan to reduce their data footprint, leaving them at risk of compliance failures in light of upcoming sustainability regulations.
“While the scale of change required to address the climate crisis may seem daunting, it is an opportunity for ambitious climate action and even competitive differentiation,” said Jon Mellon, president, global sales, marketing, and field operations at Blancco.
“Businesses cannot afford to pay lip service to sustainability with impending regulation coupled with the financial and environmental costs of storing too much data. There are also the significant risks to security created by an ever-expanding attack surface. Incorporating strategies to reduce data footprints that align with sustainability goals and cost reduction must be a matter of priority.”
