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footprint, the wider data center industry may have a disproportionate negative environmental impact. In practice, hyperscale cloud data centers consume a disproportionate amount of energy—currently almost on a par
with sectors such as the aviation sector—and are reaching technical limits.
This negative impact of high carbon usage on global warming has been
referred to as the “dark side” to cloud computing.
Bachour and Chasteen (2010, p. 1) refer to the ‘triple bottom line’
concept and the monitoring of ‘economic viability’, ‘social responsibility’
and ‘environmental impact,’ which they acknowledge may be difficult to
define and measure. Scott and Watson (2012) urge caution in relation to
monitoring and measuring green issues connected to cloud computing
and other technologies. They assert that potential models for identifying
and measuring such “green” components must consider a wide range of
impacts, including direct financial impacts as well as broader societal
impacts. They propose a framework which captures key stakeholders—
societal, organizational, customer and supply-chain—and core value
dimensions—economic, environmental, ethical and competitive position.
Buyya and Gill (2018) advocate an alternative “green” model for holistic
management of resources to ensure more energy-efficient and sustainable
cloud operations in a bid to further decrease carbon footprints of cloud
datacentres. Similarly, Di Salvo et al. (2017) note that the extent of
“green” labelling has to date been based solely on energy consumption
reduction and assert a more appropriate assessment of sustainable practices should also consider wider aspects such as eco-energy efficiency
performance.
The duality of the cloud and its impact on the environment is thereby
acknowledged: cloud computing has much potential to impact positively
on discrete environmental matters; however, less positive ‘green’ computing considerations also need to be addressed. While most climate change
activists are currently focused on limiting emissions from other sectors,
such as the auto, aviation and energy sectors, the cloud computing industry may be on track to generate more carbon emissions than all of these
sectors combined. It is therefore important that this “green” issue be even
a more central component of the next generation of cloud (Garg et al.
2015; Lin 2012; Mohamed and Pillutla 2014; Murugesan 2008).
B. MURPHY AND M. ROCCHI
footprint, the wider data center industry may have a disproportionate negative environmental impact. In practice, hyperscale cloud data centers consume a disproportionate amount of energy—currently almost on a par
with sectors such as the aviation sector—and are reaching technical limits.
This negative impact of high carbon usage on global warming has been
referred to as the “dark side” to cloud computing.
Bachour and Chasteen (2010, p. 1) refer to the ‘triple bottom line’
concept and the monitoring of ‘economic viability’, ‘social responsibility’
and ‘environmental impact,’ which they acknowledge may be difficult to
define and measure. Scott and Watson (2012) urge caution in relation to
monitoring and measuring green issues connected to cloud computing
and other technologies. They assert that potential models for identifying
and measuring such “green” components must consider a wide range of
impacts, including direct financial impacts as well as broader societal
impacts. They propose a framework which captures key stakeholders—
societal, organizational, customer and supply-chain—and core value
dimensions—economic, environmental, ethical and competitive position.
Buyya and Gill (2018) advocate an alternative “green” model for holistic
management of resources to ensure more energy-efficient and sustainable
cloud operations in a bid to further decrease carbon footprints of cloud
datacentres. Similarly, Di Salvo et al. (2017) note that the extent of
“green” labelling has to date been based solely on energy consumption
reduction and assert a more appropriate assessment of sustainable practices should also consider wider aspects such as eco-energy efficiency
performance.
The duality of the cloud and its impact on the environment is thereby
acknowledged: cloud computing has much potential to impact positively
on discrete environmental matters; however, less positive ‘green’ computing considerations also need to be addressed. While most climate change
activists are currently focused on limiting emissions from other sectors,
such as the auto, aviation and energy sectors, the cloud computing industry may be on track to generate more carbon emissions than all of these
sectors combined. It is therefore important that this “green” issue be even
a more central component of the next generation of cloud (Garg et al.
2015; Lin 2012; Mohamed and Pillutla 2014; Murugesan 2008).
B. MURPHY AND M. ROCCHI