Businesses should transition to responsible digital practices, as bolstered by Boavizta's compelling arguments

In a significant development, Boavizta, a French, independent, and inter-organizational association, has conducted a comprehensive study titled "Responsible Digital - How to onboard your hierarchy?" Over the course of a year, the study delved into the practices of various companies, focusing on large corporations, IT consulting firms, software publishers, VSBs, SMEs, and MSEs.

The study reveals a strong trend in responsible digital: it facilitates the recruitment of competent and motivated people. For instance, Ubisoft, a leading name in the IT sector, took three years to place a new recruit in their department with the mission of reducing the environmental footprint.

Boavizta's mission began in December 2020 with the launch of the Environmental Footprint Data project. The objective of this project was to collect information on the notices of digital equipment manufacturers to calculate their impact. To aid this process, the association's members designed a web service called Datavizta, which allows for easy access to the data.

However, the study found that there was very little steering or tracking of indicators on responsible digital practices in the studied companies. Moreover, the companies surveyed have not yet implemented tools to track changes in responsible digital practices.

The study does not specify the profiles of the people playing the driving role within the structures, except for jobs dedicated to digital development (developers, devops). Interestingly, the initiative often starts with employees who organize themselves and create a responsible digital task force.

Boavizta will create a reference framework for impact, means, and results to help companies use tailored indicators. This reference framework will be open source and allow for better comparison of companies. The team is optimistic that companies are starting or continuing a responsible digital approach for various reasons, although the financial argument for a responsible digital approach was rarely cited among the positive aspects.

The evolution and multiplication of computer languages and frameworks have resulted in layers of development that consume excessive energy. No-code solutions and AI-assisted text-based website building services may contribute to the energy consumption issue.

Despite these challenges, some companies have reported potential annual savings of over 1M€ through the use of power-saving modes and extending the lifespan of digital equipment. Boavizta's study in 2023 looked at companies that had undertaken a digital impact reduction initiative and found that these efforts are gaining momentum.

The study highlights that the initiative often starts with employees who organize themselves and create a responsible digital task force. As more companies embrace this approach, the future of responsible digital practices looks promising.