In our fast-paced industry, it’s easy to unknowingly overlook the environmental impact of technological innovation and progress. However, as private companies that continually support diverse Federal missions, we hold quite a unique responsibility in conducting our business appropriately, including tactics to combat unnecessary negative environmental influence. Climate change—it isn’t an abstract problem. It’s a crisis in need of innovative solutions both from within and outside of government alike.

Across almost all conversations surrounding digital transformation, buzzwords like “cloud computing”, “Zero Trust”, and (everyone’s more recent favorite) “artificial intelligence” become all too familiar to us in our day to day, painting a picture of elusive (and maybe even ethereal) technology. But the truth is, the tech industry has a very real—very physical—footprint with significant environmental and ecological impacts.

The tech industry’s drive for innovation, coupled with customer expectations and a need for constant adaptation to emerging technologies, often comes at some kind of environmental cost. For example, massive data centers and manufacturing processes are energy-intensive and contribute heavily to carbon emissions. Despite their undeniable value, it’s crucial to acknowledge impacts like these and educate ourselves and our colleagues about climate change. Promoting sustainability in tech can mitigate these effects while still fostering innovation.

As company representatives that support Federal agencies in their pursuit toward digital modernization and technology adoption, it’s imperative that we ask the tough questions about our roles in addressing climate change. As a member on the planning committee for ACT-IAC’s Climate Change Summit 2024, I invite you to take a moment to think about our indirect (or direct) impacts on possible climate change while pursuing a technologically modernized society.