Global study shows: CTOs critical for companies to achieve net zero goals

Summary: 84% of CEOs and chief sustainability officers believe that the chief technology officer may become an important driving force in promoting sustainable development within the organization.

Intel's latest global research report "The Sustainable CTO" shows that chief technology officers (CTOs) play a key role in adjusting corporate strategies based on technology needs to achieve sustainable development goals.

Greg Lavender, senior vice president and chief technology officer and general manager of the Software and Advanced Technology Group at Intel, said: “Business leaders are facing two interrelated challenges: achieving sustainable development while fully completing digital transformation. . And technology plays a vital role in the sustainability transformation. If senior management, including chief technology officers and chief information officers, can support a 'tech-positive' approach, then technology transformation will drive us towards a greener and more sustainable development. A fairer, smarter future.”

Information technology (IT) leaders embrace the challenge and have support from other C-suite executives: 79% of senior IT leaders want to be sustainability leaders; 82% of CEOs and chief sustainability officers believes that chief technology officers are key to a successful sustainability transformation. The Sustainability CTO is tasked with achieving "Technology Zero Carbon", i.e. reducing the IT department's carbon footprint. In addition, they must leverage technology to drive the entire organization toward net-zero goals (also known as “tech-positive” goals), ultimately driving business growth, accelerating innovation, and enabling the entire organization to complete a sustainable transformation.

Taking on the role of Chief Technology Officer for Sustainability

To support the initiative, Intel has established an advisory board of technology and sustainability leaders from across industries. The committee will collaborate to explore best practices and help organizations determine the best path to achieving positive technology goals based on real business needs.

Motti Finkelstein, Vice President and Digital Transformation Officer at Intel Corporation, said: “The new role of Chief Technology Officer for Sustainability will play a critical role in an organization’s net-zero transformation, but CTOs cannot address the challenges they will face on their own. . We aim to help CTOs embark on their sustainability journey and help organizations outline a roadmap to achieving their sustainability goals.”

The research found that 70% of senior IT leaders believe that their organization will need to undertake major changes or complete transformation if they want to become a net-zero enterprise. This transformation needs to be driven by chief technology officers, but they are hindered by the technology trilemma: lack of knowledge, investment and innovation.

Intel’s global research also found:

• 82% of senior IT leaders say that for their organization to reach net zero and become more sustainable, it must align technology strategy and sustainability strategy.

• 80% of senior IT leaders believe that organizations rely heavily on technology and their chief technology officers to improve business sustainability.

• 70% of senior IT leaders believe their organization will not be able to achieve net zero without IT support and action.

Sustainability CTO Roadmap

According to interviewees, the top four success factors for a CTO’s sustainability roadmap to achieve zero-carbon technology are:

1. Develop skills to understand where optimization is needed.

2. Get buy-in from the wider business.

3. Understand your data and optimize your existing infrastructure.

4. Solution and software innovation plans.

CEOs believe that the biggest growth driver for their organizations between now and 2030 will be sustainability, closely followed by digitalization. 82% of CEOs and chief sustainability officers believe that chief technology officers have a greater impact on organizational sustainability strategies than in the past, and it is time for chief technology officers to assume the responsibility of sustainability chief technology officers and rise to the challenge.