Steps towards corporate sustainability can take many forms, from flexible work policies and a switch to eco-friendly materials, to incentivizing employees by planting trees or removing plastic from the ocean.  

One often overlooked area in which businesses can make a significant impact is through their choice of technology. By embracing green software, companies can reduce their carbon footprint, save energy, and contribute to a healthier planet.

As well as the tangible benefits to our environment, green tech can save you money, create brand loyalty and increase customer conversions.

Here’s a look at several eco-friendly tools that your company should consider implementing.

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1. Energy-Efficient Cloud Computing: Microsoft Azure and AWS

Cloud computing is a staple in the modern business environment, but not all cloud services are created equal in terms of energy efficiency. Both Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have made significant strides in making their data centers more environmentally friendly.

Microsoft Azure aims to be carbon-negative by 2030, and AWS is committed to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.

By choosing these platforms, your company can benefit from scalable, secure cloud solutions while reducing your environmental impact.

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2. Sustainable Project Management: Asana

Project management tools are essential for team collaboration and productivity, but they can also contribute to a company’s carbon footprint. Asana, a leading project management tool, is committed to sustainability. The company offers free licenses to companies combating climate change, achieved 100% carbon neutrality in 2023 and work from offices powered by 100% renewable energy.

Additionally, Asana’s cloud-based platform is optimized for energy efficiency, reducing the need for energy-intensive local servers.

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3. Digital Document Management: DocuSign

Paper waste is a significant environmental concern for many businesses.

The average office worker in the U.S. uses approximately 10,000 sheets of paper each year. Offices in the USA get through around 12 trillion sheets of paper annually.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paper and paperboard products make up the largest portion of municipal solid waste, accounting for 23% of total waste generated.

Transitioning to digital document management solutions like DocuSign not only saves trees but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with printing, shipping, and storing paper documents.

DocuSign is committed to being carbon neutral and has partnered with environmental organizations to help preserve forests. By adopting e-signature and digital document workflows, your company can drastically reduce its paper consumption and related environmental impacts.

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4. Eco-Friendly Communication Tools: Slack and Zoom

Communication tools are essential in today’s remote and hybrid work environments, but they also have a carbon footprint.

It’s estimated that the average office worker's annual email use contributes around 135 kg of CO2 emissions, equivalent to driving 200 miles in a car.

Slack and Zoom, two of the most popular communication platforms, are both taking big steps toward sustainability.

Slack is part of the "Pledge 1%" initiative, and Zoom has implemented wide-scale energy-efficient practices in its data centers, as outlined in their detailed ESG reporting.

By using these platforms, your company can facilitate efficient communication while supporting eco-friendly technology practices.

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5. Green Search Engines: Ecosia

Search engines are another area where companies can make a green choice.

Ecosia is a search engine that uses its advertising revenue to plant trees, with over 200 million planted to date!

By integrating Ecosia into your company’s default search engine settings, you can contribute to reforestation efforts with every search. Ecosia is also powered by renewable energy, making it a sustainable alternative to traditional search engines.

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6. Sustainable Customer Engagement: Ecodrive

Ecodrive is an innovative platform dedicated to fostering sustainability through customer engagement. Ecodrive allows companies to involve their customers in impactful environmental initiatives, such as tree planting and ocean plastic removal, at the click of a button.

With the ability to incentivize customer actions such as purchases, reviews, sign-ups, referrals, and much more, you can begin creating tangible change for our planet, whilst scaling your business.

The Ecodrive platform is user-friendly and can be customized to align with business specific goals.

By making sustainability a part of your corporate DNA, you not only help the planet but also strengthen your brand’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility, values that are highly admired by consumers.

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7. Sustainable IT Asset Management: Blancco

Managing the lifecycle of IT assets can be a significant environmental challenge, especially when it comes to the disposal of electronic waste.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a rapidly growing environmental concern, with the world generating approximately 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste in 2019 alone. This is equivalent to the weight of about 350 cruise ships, and only 17.4% of this waste was formally collected and recycled.

Blancco is a leader in sustainable IT asset management, offering secure data erasure and device reuse solutions. By using Blancco’s software, companies can safely erase data from old devices, enabling them to be resold or donated instead of ending up in landfills. This not only helps reduce e-waste but also supports a circular economy.

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8. Carbon Footprint Management: Sphera

For companies looking to measure and reduce their carbon footprint, Sphera offers comprehensive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management software. Sphera’s tools help businesses track their carbon emissions, assess their environmental impact, and develop strategies for reducing their carbon footprint.

By integrating Sphera into your sustainability initiatives, you can gain valuable insights into your environmental performance and make informed decisions to improve it.

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9. Sustainable Supply Chain Management: EcoVadis

EcoVadis provides sustainability ratings for global supply chains, helping companies evaluate and improve the environmental and social practices of their suppliers. By using EcoVadis, businesses can ensure that their supply chains align with their sustainability goals, reducing the overall environmental impact of their operations.

This tool is especially valuable for companies committed to ethical sourcing and reducing their global carbon footprint.

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10. Remote Work Solutions: Trello

As remote work continues to grow, reducing the need for office space and commuting, tools like Trello can help maintain productivity while minimizing environmental impact.

People who work remotely all the time produce less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of office workers, according to a 2023 study.

Employees in the US who worked from home all the time were predicted to reduce their emissions by 54%, compared with workers in an office, the study found.

Trello is a project management tool that facilitates remote collaboration, reducing the need for physical meetings and printed materials. By adopting Trello, companies can support a flexible work environment that also contributes to sustainability goals.

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11. Eco-Friendly Printing: PrintReleaf

For companies that still require some level of printing, PrintReleaf offers a unique solution. PrintReleaf automatically reforests the equivalent amount of paper consumed by your company by planting trees in deforested areas. This innovative tool allows businesses to offset their paper usage and contribute positively to global reforestation efforts.

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Why Go Green?

By adopting these green software tools, your company can create a more eco-friendly technology environment.

Not only will you be contributing to the fight against climate change, but you'll also position your company as a leader in sustainability - an increasingly important factor for consumers, investors, and employees alike.

Embrace the future of technology with a green mindset, and watch your business thrive while making a positive return for the planet.

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To discuss the impact that Ecodrive can have on your business, book a demo with our team today.

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