The Sustainable CTO
Leadership will be at the center of a sustainable transformation, and we believe CTOs have a critical role to play in aligning business strategy, technology, and sustainability to meet this challenge.
Business leaders are facing the formidable challenge of prioritizing the transition to net zero while keeping pace with the mainstreaming of processor-hungry technologies like AI and IoT. They are working towards two critical agendas: reducing their carbon footprint while simultaneously adopting ever more powerful technologies. Leadership must make significant headway towards becoming Tech Positive.
CTOs not only have the vision and the appetite to accelerate sustainable transformation, they also have a mandate from the rest of the C-suite. As technology and sustainability converge, technology leaders must embrace their new role as the most pivotal sustainability influencer in the C-suite: the Sustainable CTO. This is a new model of tech leader who can deploy technology to build an organization that is fairer, greener, and smarter.
CTOs have the motivation to drive tech zero and tech positive. But they cannot do it alone. There are significant organizational barriers currently standing in their way. For CTOs to become successful Sustainable CTOs, they will need board-level support to help them overcome the knowledge, innovation, and investment barriers.
The CTO’s Sustainability Roadmap
CTOs are under pressure to land tech zero and harness technology to effect the sustainable transformation of their organization and become tech positive. They are embracing their potential role as the greatest driver of sustainability in their organization, with 83% aspiring to become a Sustainable CTO. If business leaders can help CTOs overcome the tech trilemma, businesses can harness technology in new ways to achieve their organizational goals and have a positive impact on the world.
“Enterprise leaders are approaching the interconnected challenges of sustainability and radical digital transformation. Technology has a critical role to play in sustainable transformation. If the C-suite, including CTOs and CIOs, rally in support of a tech-positive approach, technological transformation can propel us toward a future that is greener, fairer and smarter.”
—Greg Lavender, senior vice president, chief technology officer and general manager of the Software and Advanced Technology Group
The Sustainable CTO Report
At Intel, our goal is to unleash the full potential of technology in tackling ever more intricate and interconnected global dilemmas in the coming decade and beyond. The Sustainable CTO initiative aims to help CTOs and other technology leaders navigate technology for the business of the future.
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Executive Summary
Get a quick overview of The Sustainable CTO initiative.
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Financial Sector
The financial services sector is facing a turbulent landscape of extreme digital disruption, changing consumer demands, and increasing regulation. But to ensure they keep pace with the fast-evolving environment, financial services companies cannot let their focus on net-zero transition slip.
Manufacturing Sector
The manufacturing industry is in the midst of a digital revolution. With sustainability in the spotlight, organizations must ensure their processes are both smarter and greener, harnessing the power of technology to position themselves for success.