Networks and environmental sustainability: Juniper analyzes the gap between the perception of decision makers and employees

The sustainability of network infrastructures is a key issue and there are numerous companies that are activating initiatives to reduce their energy consumption. A necessity, since companies are called to play their part in the decarbonization process and must also include information on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria in their financial statements.

However, it is one thing to announce initiatives, another is to carry them out concretely and above all to ensure that they are effective in reducing the environmental impact. In this regard it is interesting a research carried out by Juniper Networks and Vanson Bourne and titled Future of Networking, which aims to assess workers’ trust in sustainable networking initiatives initiated by the companies they work for. The research was conducted on a sample of 650 IT decision makers and 1,200 office workers in the EMEA area, including Italy.

Networks and environmental sustainability: what emerges from Juniper’s research

From the analysis by Juniper and Vanson Bourne it emerges that 83% of IT decision-makers in the EMEA area (85% in Italy) actually work that have already put in place policies to reduce the impact of network infrastructures. Initiatives that will be accelerated in the next 2/5 years, as claimed by 86% of those interviewed (85% in Italy).

All right, then? Not exactly. If everyone agrees on the importance of reducing consumption linked to network infrastructures, there is still much work to be done on understanding the problems and opportunities linked to sustainability: in the EMEA area, only 32% of office workers (29% in Italy ) believe their organization has an adequate understanding of the impact of sustainable IT issues, rising to 41% for decision makers. Really, 13% (16% in Italy) of the sample that the company they work for has very little, if any, knowledge of the problem.

This also emerges from the models adopted for hiring new personnel: 40% of the sample (identical figure also for the Bel Paese) is in fact convinced that their organization is not selecting and hiring for technical roles thinking about the futureincluding roles and skills related to artificial intelligence, sustainability or ESG policies.

According to Gos Hein van de WouwJuniper Networks Vice President of Enterprise, EMEA, “the gap between leadership and employees highlighted by this research represents an important opportunity for many of our partners and customers who already operate with attention to sustainability. In reality, everything from compliance and regulations to brand perception and user experience – not to mention profitability and growth – have points of contact with sustainability and are affected by the effect of these conversations. Networking technologies underpin everything we do thanks to digital transformation and the environmental impact this has on people, places and the planet must be considered”. Wouw then goes on to point out that “selecting IT and technology talent without considering sustainability is a missed opportunity. Talent is a key driver not only for pursuing emission limitation objectives, but also for broadening business perspectives on issues relating to diversity, inclusion and transformation. With the right mix of people and network infrastructure, organizations can have a positive impact on the planet, pursuing the goals of digital transformation and sustainable business growth”.

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