4.13 Hosting procurement must prioritize energy-efficient, low-emission infrastructure

[mgifford]

Similar insights from @jannekalliola's book https://www.exove.com/green-it-purchasing-guide/

4.13 Hosting procurement must prioritize energy-efficient, low-emission infrastructure.

Description

Organizations must select infrastructure providers that demonstrate low environmental impact through transparency and performance. Hosting procurement should include criteria such as renewable energy use, energy efficiency (e.g., low PUE), location-based emissions intensity, and sustainability certifications (e.g., ISO 14001, EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres). Cloud or shared infrastructure is often preferable to underutilized on-prem hardware.

How to test

Review hosting contracts, SLAs, and RFPs. Look for environmental performance clauses, transparency requirements, or vendor sustainability reports. Confirm that procurement considered geographic carbon intensity or real-time load shifting (e.g., Carbon Aware tools).

Why it’s important

Hosting and infrastructure represent major contributors to digital service emissions. Sustainable procurement choices at this level can reduce environmental impact at scale, often with improved resilience and cost-efficiency.

Examples

• Hosting contracts include requirements for renewable energy sourcing and quarterly carbon reporting.
• An organization uses carbon intensity data to select a low-emissions hosting region.
• A public website is moved from on-premise hosting to a certified green cloud provider.
• Procurement documents favor vendors using sustainable cooling and energy reuse systems.