Rod Vawdrey, CEO, Fujitsu Australia & NZ
We asked one Australian CEO, Fujitsu’s Rod Vawdrey, how sustainability fits with his business.
Q: What does environmental sustainability mean to you?
Rod Vawdrey (RV): To me, it’s a pretty simple proposition. Our resources are finite and we all have a duty of care to sustain the environment for future generations. Whether you’re a climate change convert or sceptic, businesses cannot afford to ignore the risks and opportunities that climate change presents.
Environmental sustainability can be approached from two different viewpoints: as an opportunity to add value to an organisation, or as a cost. Either way, it has moved beyond being solely a matter of good corporate social responsibility – it’s a business issue. If you look at it from the standpoint of corporate value, the environment represents an innovative opportunity to be a leader. But if you look at it simply as a cost, you will be stuck reacting to problems and making only gradual improvements.
Q: What role do you see for the information technology (IT) industry in ensuring a sustainable future for Australia?
RV: It is generally accepted that IT accounts for 2% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. IT is a large consumer of power in the typical office and the price of energy is expected to further increase. IT has a fundamental role to play in reducing this cost to business as well as showing support in addressing the remaining 98% of GHG emissions.
While organisations have embraced the concept of Green IT, they seem to be lacking an ability to translate it into action and deliver sustainable Green IT initiatives. We believe the first step is to understand the organisation’s strategic intent and business drivers to determine how the IT department aligns with the organisation’s overall strategy and contributes towards achieving measurable sustainability targets.
We understand there is constant pressure to increase profitability, manage risk and address regulatory requirements. Therefore, any Green IT investment must deliver measurable outcomes.
For many years the IT industry has been relatively removed from direct accountability for reducing its impact on the environment, but our contribution to GHG emissions poses a significant risk to the industry and its market. The challenges are many and daunting, but organisations that identify and address environmental sustainability risks will gain a competitive edge.
Q: What is Fujitsu doing to sustain the environment?
RV: In September 2008, our Victorian operation took up residence at Th e Gauge, one of only three buildings in Melbourne accredited to the 6 Star Green Star Rated Office Design Certification, the highest environmental rating ever achieved by a commercial office building.
In November 2008 we officially opened our new ‘green’ data centre at Sydney’s Homebush Bay after extensive work to improve the facility’s energy efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint. The Sydney Data Centre is now arguably the most environmentally sustainable facility of its kind in Australia, setting new benchmarks for power usage effectiveness and delivering our clients considerable savings when they host their data within our environment.
Fujitsu continues to reaffirm its longterm commitment to the Australian market with a significant investment in worldclass data centre infrastructure at a time when economic challenges are faced by all of us. We are positioning ourselves as an environmentally responsible partner by extending our leadership in sustainable technology. We believe that even in this current climate sustainability strategies will provide companies with a strong foundation for growth in the future.
With the recent launch of our online sustainability assessment tool, our customers can now proactively measure and progress their level of environmental sustainability. The tool provides a snapshot of an organisation’s readiness and we encourage anyone who is looking at sustainability to take the assessment.
For Fujitsu, environmental responsibility is nothing new. We have actively applied and promoted environmental principles for over 15 years, since the introduction of our Environmental Protection Program back in 1993, and are proudly recognised as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since its inception in 1999.
We take our corporate social responsibilities seriously and are committed to providing more environmentally-friendly products and services to our customers, including the pursuit of green activities in all areas of our operations. We leverage our technological expertise and creative talents to help promote sustainable development.
For more information about sustainability at Fujitsu, visit:
Website: http://au.fujitsu.com
Republished from Australian Innovation 2009 – the print publication
