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Boost Efficiency and Cost Savings with new sustainability guidance in the Cloud Adoption Framework

by Spanish Point - Feb 1, 2024
Boost Efficiency and Cost Savings with new sustainability guidance in the Cloud Adoption Framework

Incorporating sustainability into a cloud estate can guarantee cost savings, long-term operational efficiency, and compliance with the ever-increasing global eco-regulatory requirements. An organisation can drastically reduce their environmental effect, future-proof their operations, and gain competitive benefits in an eco-conscious market by aligning with sound sustainability practices.

In October 2023, Microsoft announced they had updated guidance around sustainability in the Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF), helping executives, IT decision-makers, platform managers, IT operations, and other relevant roles with their sustainability journeys.

Talking about Sustainability end-to-end

Microsoft’s CAF offers a comprehensive, end-to-end approach for organisations to effectively implement and manage could technologies, guaranteeing a smooth and efficient cloud journey.

Organisations are always changing and adjusting to new business demands and technological advancements, CAF serves as a constant guide, allowing them to review and evaluate their strategies, plans and, implementations. Continuous improvement and alignment with a company’s objectives are ensured by this iterative strategy, making CAF a vital tool for organisations throughout their cloud journey.

With demand for sustainable cloud environments and green software growing, CAF is essential to an organisation’s support throughout their end-to-end cloud journey, allowing them to adopt eco-friendly practices that align with their sustainability goals.

Cloud Adoption Framework Strategy

Organisation’s are increasingly evaluating the cloud’s contribution to their environmental goals, as it can help reduce emissions and resource use. Moving from on-premises datacentres to the cloud can help reduce up to 98% of carbon emissions. To achieve long-term sustainability goals, it helps to develop cloud strategies that include sustainability outcomes and the long term benefits of your business, these include:

  • Build green teams and set goals for the teams owning sustainability
  • Sustainability for your company’s brand
  • Insights on regulatory compliance
  • Help in understanding your current emissions
  • Get guidance on recommended tools and resources
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Prioritising Sustainability in Business Planning

Prioritising sustainability in your cloud and business planning is crucial if you want to start reducing your environmental impact as soon as possible, showcase Corporate Social Responsibility.

Planning ahead helps you understand the importance of:

  • Identifying your current emissions as you plan ahead
  • Design roles and responsibilities, nominate a sustainability lead, and define a clear RACI (Responsibility, Accountability, Consulted, and Informed)
  • Skilling to build sustainability community and to dive into learning resources
  • Defining reporting standards, as well as some considerations on risk management

Managing Sustainability Alignment

Achieving sustainability alignment between cloud management and operations can help your team become more carbon conscious and eventually contribute to the accomplishment of your sustainability objectives.

Managing this area will give you further understanding in:

  • Monitoring carbon emissions
  • Using cost as a proxy for sustainability
  • Finding opportunities to schedule workloads
  • Monitor for services to retire
  • Removing unused data
  • Learn about demand shaping

Understanding end-to-end sustainability considerations in your could estate is made easier with the support of the sustainability guidelines in the Cloud Adoption Framework. Our experts at Spanish Point can help your organisation boost efficiency and cut down on costs with this sustainability guidance, regardless of where in your cloud you are.