The Seven Steps to ICT Sustainability

You may be wondering how you can champion sustainability. Our Seven Steps to ICT Sustainability gives you top tips to Buy less, Buy better, Use better and Use for longer.

The Seven Steps

Step 1: Buy less and buy better

A large volume of greenhouse gas emissions is released during the manufacturing process of ICT equipment, including phones, laptops, desktops, workstations ​and servers. ​
This is called ​embodied carbon.

  • Only buy what is needed​ - consider purchasing certified ​refurbished and remanufactured devices​.
  • Consider using Imperial’s Research Computing Service instead of buying workstations/new servers for your research​.
Step 2: Use better - With great AI power comes great responsibility!

AI comes with a significant environmental cost, consuming vast amounts of electricity and water, with its impact growing exponentially each year.​
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It has been predicted that during 2026 the electricity used by data centres will reach a level equivalent to the fifth largest electricity consuming country*​

For everyday use, ask:​

  • Is it truly necessary for ​this task? e.g. Do you need to use dAIsy or MS Copilot for that email?
  • For research, use it well, wisely and efficiently and when it adds real additional value.​
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    Thoughtful use helps us balance innovation with sustainability.​

*A. Zewe. Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact. MIT News. 17th Jan 2025

Step 3: Use better - Geek out the green way!

  • Researchers! Carrying out computational research has an environmental impact.
  • Look out for Imperial’s sustainable research computing courses to ​be launched in summer 2026.​
Step 4: Use better - delete what you don't need

Data is filling up OneDrive and BOX at a fast pace, like millions of garages filled with filling cabinets. Additional storage requires more hardware which results in more embodied carbon and more energy use!​

  • Please review your electronic data regularly and delete what's no longer needed.​
  • Set a 6 monthly reminder to do ​this within your calendar. ​Let’s spring clean our cloud garages! 
Step 5: Use better - Shut the lid to save the grid and Think before you print!

The electricity our devices use create greenhouse gas emissions when running. Also, Imperial prints over 5.1 million pages a year, using over 600 trees annually just for our paper demand!

Please turn devices off when not required and don’t print unless you really need to.

Step 6: Use better - Switch to Ecosia

Ecosia is a privacy friendly search engine that uses 100% of its profits to plant trees and fund climate action. You can also switch off automatic AI summaries in Ecosia, which you cannot do easily with other search engines.

Step 7: Use for longer

We have extended the warranty of ICT managed laptops to 5 years, and would like to encourage everyone to keep their laptops for at least 5 years.​

  • Please reuse devices less than 5 years old within your team/department when staff members leave. 
  • Please ensure that good quality computers, monitors, keyboards, etc are reused during property refurbishment projects.​