Plastic pollution is a pervasive issue that affects every aspect of our environment, including our bodies, as we ingest microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 urges us to come together to tackle this critical challenge.

At IGEL, we believe everyone has a role in protecting our planet and reducing plastic pollution and waste. We are on a mission to enable sustainable IT by helping organizations reduce their IT carbon footprint by extending the useful life of their endpoint hardware.

Why sustainable IT is key reducing plastic waste

IT contributes to serious sustainability challenges across almost every industry. According to the UN’s fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM), a record 62 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was produced in 2022, up 82% from 2010. Furthermore, the report found that e-waste is on track to rise another 32%, to 82 million tonnes, in 2030.

The production and use of new electronic devices is exacerbating this problem. Just reducing the rate of new device purchases can alleviate a significant amount of sustainability drain, not to mention the clear CAPEX savings. Consider for a moment that 83% of a device’s total carbon footprint is produced during the manufacturing process. If we can slow down the adoption of new devices, it can greatly impact e-waste as well as our total carbon consumption.

Next, let’s examine the impact of end-user computing. Research shows that approximately 2.5% of our global emissions originate from end-user computing, and end-user computing devices consume 3% of the world’s power generation. This represents a significant burden on the Earth that we can influence.

IGEL supports sustainable IT by delivering energy-efficient IT solutions and forming strategic partnerships to reduce carbon emissions. Here are some of the ways we are making a difference:

• Extending Hardware Lifespan. We enable organizations to extend the life span of existing devices by optimizing with IGEL OS. This minimizes e-waste. Based on a recent study with Px³, extending the lifespan of 5,000 endpoint devices from 4 to 8 years with IGEL helps achieve a reduction in electricity usage by 157,550 kWh/y.
• IT Asset Disposal. IGEL also supports responsible IT asset disposal to mitigate e-waste and its health impacts. By backing social projects for device reuse and responsible disposal partnerships, including Sun Screen IT, we enhance IT sustainability.
• Energy Efficiency in IT Operations. By focusing on making responsible choices for energy-efficient devices and optimizing the resources utilized by IT and end users, we can reduce CO2 emissions and conserve energy. Selecting responsibly manufactured devices and enabling them to minimize power consumption through more efficient software, such as IGEL OS, can significantly contribute to this goal by reducing power use by more than 22%. Transitioning from Windows to IGEL OS can decrease device power usage by as much as 49%, further lowering energy consumption.
• Partnerships for Sustainability. Through our partnership with Plant for the Planet, together with our customers and partners, we have planted 21,502 trees and supported research in reforestation projects in Mexico, Africa and Indonesia.

Embracing Sustainable IT Beyond World Environmental Day

IGEL’s endpoint strategy for now and next enables enterprise IT to deliver secure, cloud-based digital workspaces that provide device flexibility, energy efficiency, and savings. This lowers greenhouse gas emissions and reduces e-waste.

Learn more about our vision to transform the way the world works and how we are creating better outcomes for people, organizations, and our planet.

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A Quest to Plant a Trillion Trees

IGEL Technology supports Plant-for-the-Planet through donations to community led reforestation and research projects worldwide.
On behalf of attendees at the IGEL Now & Next EUC and Security event in March 2025, IGEL planted 3,000 trees in top projects to restore mangroves and forests in the Bahamas, Ghana, Kenya, and Thailand, achieving a total of 21,512  trees planted in global reforestation projects since 2023.

Plant-for-the-Planet develop solutions to address the most pressing questions in ecosystem restoration using cutting-edge software tools, providing restoration advice, training academies, and quality control based on scientific research with renowned universities to support with 170+ official reforestation projects worldwide.

Tech plays a pivotal role in the trillion tree mission

High-tech helps the reforestation teams to fund, manage and monitor the millions of trees planted so far and in the future.  The TreeMapper-app is a simple yet powerful tool to register and track the development of the trees planted. The FireAlert-app, using NASA satellite data, enables free alerts when high fire risk areas are detected enabling a faster reaction to fight wildfires. The online Tree Planter is a tool that allows transparent donations worldwide and makes it easier for donors to see in real time how their trees are progressing. All applications are open source and available to restoration organizations as well as advice offered by Plant-for-the-Planet.

As a non-profit organization, Plant-for-the-Planet is solely funded by donations and corporate partnerships. IGEL Technology sponsors Plant-for-the-Planet and supports ongoing projects through promotion at industry events to spread the word and call for donations throughout our network. Since 2023, together with our customers, partners, and colleagues we planted over 21,000 trees in restoration and research projects in Mexico, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Indonesia using the online tree planting platform.

Click here to view the IGEL Tree Planter and learn more about Plant-for-the-Planet and how when tech companies and communities unite to plant, restore and conserve a trillion trees they take action towards a sustainable future.

“One mosquito can do nothing against a rhino, but a thousand mosquitoes can change its direction”
– Plant-for-the-Planet founder Felix Finkbeiner once said during a speech at the United Nations in 2011.

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This four-day convergence of forward-thinking strategies, innovative solutions, and deep insights showcased the future of digital workspaces—and Parallels RAS is right at the center of it all.

We had a chance to sit down with George Watkins, the Product Marketing Manager for Parallels RAS, to get the scoop on what’s to come.

Tell us about your company and how you partner with IGEL. How long have you been an IGEL Ready partner?

George Watkins: We share a rich history together. Parallels has been an IGEL Ready partner since 2021. Parallels was the first partner-built platform app on the IGEL application portal. Most recently, the Parallels client was validated for use with IGEL OS in February 2024.

Our partnership has enabled organizations to optimize IT environments with better deployment flexibility, user experience, and secure end-point management.

As two major players in the EUC space, the Parallels and IGEL teams have worked together on product roadmaps and releases, resulting in joint success for many mutual customers.

Through our collaboration and innovation, Parallels RAS and IGEL continue to deliver solutions to help organizations improve their hybrid, private, or public cloud or on-premises operations.

We [Parallels and IGEL] share the same vision about how the world works, and we aim to provide better outlines for people, organizations, and the planet.

What are some things your organization is doing together with IGEL to shape the future of EUC?

George Watkins: Together with IGEL, Parallels RAS has been shaping the future of EUC and enabling organizations to adapt to market demands and handle constantly evolving challenges quickly.

We have a shared goal of meeting customers where they are in their journey, offering freedom of choice whether they need solutions for on-prem, cloud, or hybrid deployments.

This freedom extends to enabling remote or hybrid work environments, enabling teams and organizations to be productive from anywhere at any time, all with security in mind and Zero Trust strategies and architecture top of mind.

Other shared goals include enhancing sustainability via solutions that allow organizations to repurpose hardware and support (nearly) any device.

The organizations run community programs together to ensure that customers are truly being listened to and heard and that their feedback is implemented to improve both Parallels RAS and IGEL’s solutions.

Learn more about how Parallels RAS and IGEL join forces to offer powerful virtualization capabilities.

How has being a part of the IGEL Ready program improved your business or enhanced customer experience? We’d love to hear specific examples or success stories!

George Watkins: Parallels Client is IGEL Ready Certified, showing our commitment to the program and IGEL vision.

The partnership between IGEL and Parallels RAS unites IGEL’s cutting-edge client software and operating system with Parallels RAS’s robust remote application and desktop delivery platform. It offers organizations a comprehensive solution for secure, high-performance remote access.

With efficiency and flexibility, users can enjoy access to applications and desktops from anywhere. Parallels is uniquely positioned in the market with its Desktop, Server, and Cloud technologies, including Parallels Desktop, RAS/DaaS, and Browser Isolation.

Customers are moving more quickly from alternative solutions to Parallels than ever due to our flexibility, simplicity, and total cost of ownership. Parallels allows companies to extend the lifespan of their hardware, improving sustainability and cost savings.

One example of a happy customer is Austin-based Trinsic Technologies. The organization introduced Anytime Cloud, a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution designed to help SMB clients improve the end-user computing experience and streamline business operations.

Through Anytime Cloud, customers gain access to the latest cloud and virtualization technologies using IGEL endpoints with Parallels RAS.

What are some of the key trends that are impacting your partners and customers in 2025, and how is your organization solving these?

George Watkins: Several prominent trends are shaping the industry, and Parallels RAS is working with partners and customers to navigate these changes effectively:

• Optimizing IT delivery for the future of work: Organizations are focusing on solutions that support remote and hybrid work while reducing time to value and enhancing sustainability.
• Strategic IT deployment: Choosing between cloud, on-premises, or hybrid is no longer a simple decision—it requires a holistic approach to IT strategy.
• The rise of digital employee experience (DEX): More organizations are prioritizing the team experience in IT strategies. According to Gartner, 50% of IT organizations will soon have a dedicated DEX strategy, team, and management tools, up from less than 20% in 2023. Parallels RAS (along with a monitoring solution like ControlUp) can enhance this.

We work with our partners and customers to consider an organization’s IT strategy as a whole—it’s not as simple as choosing cloud, on-premises, or hybrid, but selecting the best deployment methods for supporting the business.

Why is your organization a sponsor of Now & Next 2025?

George Watkins: Parallels RAS is proudly played a pivotal role as a sponsor at Now & Next 2025. From keynote sessions to hands-on demonstrations, our team has connected with attendees in the past to explore how Parallels and IGEL are redefining the EUC landscape together.

Parallels RAS has a long-standing collaboration with IGEL, and together, our organizations continue to expand through joint marketing efforts and shared customer success.

Most recently, Parallels RAS was awarded the 2024 IGEL Ready Platform App of the Year and we’re excited about what the future holds for both organizations.

Is this the first time you are sponsoring an IGEL event? If not, what keeps bringing your organization back to these events?

George Watkins: Parallels has previously sponsored other IGEL events, most recently IGEL Disrupt Miami and Munich in 2024.

What will you present to attendees at Now & Next 2025?

George Watkins: At our booth, the Parallels RAS team will showcase our latest updates to our remote application and desktop delivery platform.

Visitors will also learn how combining Parallels RAS and IGEL equips organizations with the tools to secure endpoints, reduce costs, and extend hardware lifespans.

What do you hope attendees learn from the content you share at Now & Next 2025?

George Watkins: Visitors to our booth will learn how our latest solutions with hands-on demos, insightful discussions, and interactive sessions tailored to solving today’s IT challenges.

What do you hope to take away from participating in Now & Next 2025?

George Watkins: Events like IGEL Now & Next remind us of the incredible possibilities on the horizon for EUC. The team at Parallels RAS aims to remain dedicated to empowering organizations to meet future challenges while continuing to innovate with IGEL. We hope our team walks away feeling reignited to help power the future of IT teams.

What is one thing you plan to accomplish either personally or professionally in the next three to six months?

George Watkins: At the heart of our work lies a shared determination to make IT solutions more accessible, sustainable, and innovative. The team at Parallels RAS wants to be part of the future of EUC. Over the next few months, we are committed to deepening this partnership with IGEL and delivering greater value to our customers.

The best part? We’re just getting started. Meet us at our booth! Together, we’re building a better tomorrow for enterprises, teams, and beyond.

Don’t miss IGEL Now & Next 2025 in Miami Beach. Register today!

The post IGEL and Parallels RAS — Collaborating to Shape the Future of EUC at IGEL Now & Next 2025 appeared first on IGEL.

This four-day event will highlight innovative strategies, solutions, and insights from IGEL partners. Among them is Clientron, which will showcase its advanced UltrArmor Thin Client solutions. These offerings provide exceptional performance, security, and sustainability, meeting the evolving demands of the digital workplace.

We sat down with Christine Chen, Global Channel Marketing Manager for UltrArmor at Clientron, to learn more about the relationship between IGEL and Clientron, and what attendees can expect to see and learn about UltrArmor at IGEL Now & Next 2025.

Tell us about your company and how you partner with IGEL. How long have you been an IGEL Ready partner?

Christine Chen: Clientron has been a trailblazer in Thin Client technology since 1983, empowering businesses worldwide with innovative solutions.

For over 20 years, we’ve maintained a strong strategic partnership with IGEL, co-developing industry-leading hardware solutions that have resulted in the sale of over 4.5 million devices globally. In 2023, we proudly launched UltrArmor, a subsidiary dedicated to revolutionizing VDI, DaaS, and cloud endpoint devices.

As an IGEL Ready partner for the past two years, UltrArmor is committed to delivering cutting-edge Thin Client solutions that combine exceptional performance, security, and sustainability to meet the evolving needs of the digital workplace.

What are some things your organization is doing together with IGEL to shape the future of EUC?

Christine Chen: As IGEL transitions to focus exclusively on software, UltrArmor identified a golden opportunity to provide the market with an all-encompassing Thin Client solution.

Backed by two decades of hardware design, R&D, and manufacturing expertise with IGEL, UltrArmor was established to bridge this gap. With the industry’s only partner possessing 20+ years of IGEL hardware collaboration, we combine unparalleled hardware and software integration to create seamless solutions.

Together, we’re pioneering advancements in security, sustainability, and user experience, shaping the future of digital workspaces.

How has being a part of the IGEL Ready program improved your business or enhanced customer experience? We’d love to hear specific examples or success stories!

Christine Chen: The IGEL Ready program has been a cornerstone of UltrArmor’s success, empowering us to deliver unmatched reliability and a truly elevated customer experience. By seamlessly integrating our advanced hardware with IGEL’s software, we provide solutions that are not only robust but also tailored to meet the complex needs of digital workspaces.

UltrArmor’s commitment to excellence shines through with a 5-year warranty, shorter product lead times, and comprehensive after-sales support. These features ensure our customers enjoy a worry-free experience with solutions that perform consistently and exceed expectations.

A notable success story highlights a retail client in Germany who adopted UltrArmor’s hardware alongside IGEL OS to achieve seamless system integration and exceptional operational reliability. This collaboration enhanced their efficiency, strengthened their data security, and delivered a level of service that far exceeded their expectations. The client praised the seamless deployment, superior performance, and dedicated support, underscoring the strength of the IGEL-UltrArmor partnership.

What are some of the key trends that are impacting your partners and customers in 2025, and how is your organization solving these?

Christine Chen: Cybersecurity remains a critical focus in 2025 as malicious attacks grow more sophisticated. UltrArmor and IGEL provide a seamlessly integrated security framework, ensuring that endpoint devices remain secure and adaptable to emerging threats.

UltrArmor’s Thin Client solutions, such as the UA3, harness the power of AMD’s high-performance CPU and seamlessly integrate with IGEL’s robust software to establish a comprehensive security ecosystem. Featuring hardware-level safeguards, UEFI integration, and IGEL OS security protocols, this end-to-end solution ensures advanced data protection across endpoints, servers, and cloud environments.

In addition, UltrArmor offers value-added solutions like NIST 800-88 Secure Data Erase, addressing secure data lifecycle management. This deep integration between UltrArmor’s hardware and IGEL’s software ensures a future-ready security architecture that meets the highest standards for our partners and customers.

Why is your organization a sponsor of Now & Next 2025?

Christine Chen: As an IGEL Ready partner, UltrArmor is committed to shaping the future of End User Computing (EUC). Sponsoring Now & Next 2025 reflects our dedication to collaboration, innovation, and delivering cutting-edge solutions for digital workspaces.

IGEL’s leadership in the EUC ecosystem aligns with UltrArmor’s mission to provide world-class endpoint solutions. Now & Next offers a platform to connect with global thought leaders, uncover emerging trends, and showcase how UltrArmor’s solutions redefine performance, security, and sustainability.

By participating, we aim to strengthen our partnerships and contribute to transformative advancements in the modern workplace.

Is this the first time you are sponsoring an IGEL event? If not, what keeps bringing your organization back to these events?

Christine Chen: This is UltrArmor’s second year proudly sponsoring IGEL’s Channel events. In 2024, we served as a Silver Sponsor at IGEL Disrupt in Munich. For 2025, we are expanding our reach by sponsoring Now & Next in Miami and Frankfurt.

IGEL’s events stand out by gathering the brightest minds in EUC and offering unparalleled insights into industry trends. Breakout sessions tailored to sectors like healthcare, retail, and government provide immense value, enabling us to learn and contribute effectively.

For UltrArmor, these events are not just about networking but also about exchanging expertise, gaining actionable insights, and showcasing how the UltrArmor-IGEL ecosystem delivers secure, sustainable, and innovative solutions. Our continued participation underscores our commitment to market leadership and building connections that shape the future of EUC.

What will you present to attendees at Now & Next 2025?

Christine Chen: At IGEL Now & Next 2025, UltrArmor will showcase the revolutionary UA Series Thin Client solutions, designed to elevate the industry benchmark. Inspired by IGEL’s UD Series, the UA Series takes performance and security to the next level.

Our lineup includes:

• UA2, UA3, UA7 (desktop solutions)
• UA9 (mobile solution)
• UA10 (all-in-one solution)

Built with high-performance AMD and Intel CPUs, the UA Series enhanced performance while fortifying endpoint security. Moreover, Sustainability is a key focus, with 30% of materials sourced from post-consumer recycled content (aiming for 50%) and backed by a five-year warranty to reduce premature replacements.

Furthermore, Attendees will discover how UltrArmor’s solutions empower industries such as healthcare, government, finance, manufacturing, and retail to achieve secure, scalable, and sustainable digital workspaces.

What do you hope attendees learn from the content you share at Now & Next 2025?

Christine Chen: We invite attendees to experience the core essence of UltrArmor: a seamless integration of 40 years of industry innovation and 20 years of successful collaboration with IGEL. Our UA Series exemplifies cutting-edge security, sustainability, and high performance, and we are committed to inspiring confidence through solutions that are future-ready and tailored to meet the evolving demands of modern businesses

What do you hope to take away from participating in Now & Next 2025?

Christine Chen: UltrArmor’s participation at Now & Next 2025 is about more than showcasing products—it’s about fostering partnerships, gaining insights, and understanding the evolving needs of global markets. By engaging with thought leaders and partners, we aim to strengthen our position as the trusted partner for digital transformation, further refining our solutions to address tomorrow’s challenges today.

What is one thing you plan to accomplish either personally or professionally in the next three to six months?

Christine Chen: UltrArmor’s mission in the next six months is to amplify our brand’s global presence. We plan to participate in 15 key Channel Events, including Now & Next 2025 in Miami and Frankfurt, and launch roadshows and local activities across major European markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Nordic regions and France. These initiatives will allow us to engage directly with local partners, gain market insights, and demonstrate how our UltrArmor-IGEL Thin Client solutions are shaping the future of secure and sustainable digital workspaces.

Don’t miss IGEL Now & Next 2025 in Miami Beach. Register today!

The post IGEL and UltrArmor – Teaming to Transform Digital Workspaces appeared first on IGEL.

On average, eighty percent of this carbon footprint is generated by more than 665 million new computers, such as desktops and laptops, being manufactured and supplied each year[2]. The remainder is caused by an estimated 4.2 billion users consuming electricity as they operate existing and new personal computers at work and at home.

To help you decide if it’s worth taking action to reduce this impact, it’s worthwhile considering that this footprint requires a forest the size of Argentina to remove the resulting carbon from Earth’s atmosphere every year.  Comparatively, only 50 years ago the worldwide carbon footprint created by personal computers would have been photosynthesised by a single oak tree. That’s a perplexing thought.

My point is that unless we apply the United Nations goal of ‘responsible consumption’ to an ever-growing end user computing carbon footprint, we won’t prevent that 1% contribution to emissions from quickly becoming 2% as new product demand grows alongside swelling numbers of users.

On this point, I’m often asked if tackling end user computing emissions is feasible. In fact, my research shows that most company stakeholders consider sustainable information technology strategies complex, expensive and with little impact [3] and therefore shy away from it.

However, the same body of research dispels this opinion, showing that in fact sustainable IT is often very simple to plan for and accomplish and significantly reduces both carbon footprint and costs [4].

This is particularly relevant when adopting what I consider to be the most meaningful sustainable IT strategy of all: ‘keeping devices for longer’.

On average companies keep personal computers for approximately 4 years. It doesn’t take a scientist to point out that by keeping them for twice as long reduces supply chain carbon footprint and procurement costs by half. It’s simple maths; you will be buying new products 50% less often, meaning 50% less new product demand and manufacturing and 50% less capital expenditure.

I often receive resistance when suggesting the concept and it’s usually focused on concerns about OS obsolescence and ongoing device performance. My usual reply is, ‘could the devices be repurposed in different roles or in a way that offloads performance to the cloud?’. Usually, the answer is yes and the results are compelling.

As an example, I recently scientifically tested the practice [5]. Instead of disposing of existing computers and buying new devices, a financial sector organisation repurposed over 3,000 desktops to become thin clients using IGEL OS. By doing so the lifespan of the computers was doubled due to their new role.

Having avoided emissions associated with end of asset recycling and disposal plus new product manufacture and supply, the company reduced the IT project’s carbon footprint by 1.4 million kgCO₂e. In context that’s equivalent emissions caused by driving a combustion engine car 8.5 million km or 212 times around the Earth.

Additionally, £1.7 million in new product costs was avoided proving that sustainable IT is in fact good for the planet and for profit.

With sustainable IT options such as IGEL, barriers to adopting sustainable IT are removed and particularly ‘keeping devices for longer’ becomes a very potent reality when considering GHG abatement.

Adopted at scale the impact is significant. It is feasible that if the industry standard retention period was to transition from 4 years to 8 years, then new product demand globally will plummet by 50%. This would mean the annual production of over 300 million new devices would cease.

So, the question is, do we want to continue to need a forest the size of Argentina to clean up our end user computing emissions? Or do we want to collectively realise UN SDG 12 responsible consumption and drive goal number 13 climate action to build a more sustainable future?

References

[1] Sutton-Parker, J. (2022), ‘Is sufficient carbon footprint information available to make sustainability focused computer procurement strategies meaningful?’. 1877-0509. Procedia Computer Science, Volume 203, 2022, Pages 280-289. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Science Direct, Elsevier B.V.
Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187705092200641X

[2] Sutton-Parker, J. and Procter, R. (2023), ‘Determining UK government scope 2 and 3 computer greenhouse gas emissions’. Procedia Computer Science 224C (2023) pp. 336-342. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Science Direct, Elsevier B.V.
Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187705092301092X>

[3] Sutton-Parker, J. (2020), ‘Quantifying resistance to the diffusion of information technology sustainability practices in the United Kingdom service sector’. Volume 175, 2020, Pages 517-524. doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.07.073. 1877-0509. Procedia Computer Science. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Science Direct, Elsevier B.V.

Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050920317737>

[4]  Sutton-Parker, J. (2022), ‘The impact of end user computing carbon footprint information on human behavioural change and greenhouse gas emission abatement.’ Warwick, UK: University of Warwick, Computer Science Dept.

[5] Sutton-Parker, J. and Procter, R. (2023), ‘Greenhouse gas abatement via repurposing computers’. Procedia Computer Science 224C (2023) pp. 296-305. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Science Direct, Elsevier B.V.
Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050923010876>

The post Sustainable IT: How to Reduce IT Carbon Footprint by 50% and Minimize E-waste appeared first on IGEL.

This June 5^th the spotlight is on “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration” for World Environment Day to drive awareness of solutions to restore land, halt desertification and build drought resilience. World Environment Day 2024, led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach. Every year it mobilizes hundreds of millions of people to protect the planet by building momentum for climate action by rallying support for vital ecosystems restoration work among individuals, companies and foundations.

One such foundation is Plant-for-the-Planet, a global leader in ecosystem restoration. Read this interview with Sagar Aryal , Chief Technology Officer and Board Member at Plant-for-the-Planet to learn how this foundation restores forests and ecosystems with local communities, company sponsorships and technology.

Q1. How does Plant-for-the-Planet support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration?

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a joint effort of global organizations to restore the world’s ecosystems to get humanity on track for a more sustainable future. As a global movement, Plant-for-the-Planet is an official partner of the UN decade and plays a central part in educating and empowering the next generation on climate justice and ecosystem restoration, among other work. Plant-for-the-Planet is part of #GenerationRestoration.

Q2. Can you summarize how trees can reduce CO2 emissions.

CO2 is also called carbon dioxide. It is a gas that is part of our atmosphere. It is produced by burning fossil fuels and is one of the greenhouse gases that causes climate change.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In the process called photosynthesis they split the carbon from the oxygen atoms and use it to build their biomass – like wood and leaves. So, trees don’t reduce CO2 emissions – only humans can do that -, but they help us to get rid of some of the emissions. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough trees on Earth anymore to offset all our CO2 emissions and the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is constantly rising. That’s why we need to radically reduce emissions and urgently need more forests!

Q3. How do you select global Plant-for-the-Planet restoration projects? (Yucatàn, Ghana, Andalucia)

Each of our three projects follows a different agenda, which is closely related to the geographic area, where they are located and the needs of the community.

In Yucatàn, we are working to restore the forest landscapes in and around the San Felipe Bacalar Natural Protected Area, as well as the Balam-Kú nature reserve and Calakmul Biosphere Reserves. Our sites have suffered different levels of degradation: Some areas are recently abandoned cattle pastures with only a few scattered trees left. Other areas were never fully deforested, but either economically valuable trees have been logged or significant proportions of the forest were destroyed by fires, leaving behind relatively species-poor vegetation. In other areas, the forest is still full of many species, and we are either conserving it or letting it grow back on its own.

We decided to work in Mexico as it is part of the mega-biodiverse areas in the world. Also, the trees we plant here grow a lot faster than trees in Europe do. This way they absorb more carbon dioxide in a shorter period and help us battle the climate crisis.

Plant-for-Ghana is a hybrid restoration project. We believe sustainable restoration is the best way to bring back the lost forest in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, thereby contributing to Plant-for-the-Planet’s goal to plant one trillion trees worldwide.

This hybrid project combines two approaches: the planting of native species and the planting of agroforestry species in mixed stands. By planting high diversity tree mixes in deforested areas, we not only ensure that restored forests are resilient to the ongoing threats of the climate crisis, but also establish a multi-functional forest with more productive forest stands. Growing both native tree species that will not be harvested and agroforestry species ensures that local communities can also benefit from our work.

In Andalusia, Plant-for-the-Planet Spain has set the goal to recover the lost forests around Granada and Doñana. In Doñana, approximately 9,000 ha of forest in the Doñana National Park were lost in the 2017 Las Peñuelas wildfire. The project is a collaboration with the Directorate General for the Natural Environment, Biodiversity and Protected Spaces of the Andalusian Regional Government.

In Granada, we are restoring and expanding the Green Belt that is helping to mitigate pollution.

Both projects have a direct impact on the local communities and will contribute to a more sustainable future for younger generations. The aim is to plant a total of 1 million trees by 2030.

Q4. How do partnerships with companies such as IGEL Technology support your mission?

Plant-for-the-Planet collaborates with companies like IGEL that are genuinely committed to ecosystem restoration and combating the climate crisis. Our empowerment programs, platform, and IT solutions are provided free of charge, funded by our partners and donors. Additionally, partners such as IGEL directly contribute to positive impacts by funding tree plantings in projects like those in Mexico and Ghana. With effective climate communication, we can collectively reach a wider audience and raise awareness for this urgent matter.

Q5. How does Plant-for-the-Planet manage global restoration projects?

At Plant-for-the-Planet we developed free software tools like FireAlert and TreeMapper to help plan, monitor, and improve restoration efforts, making projects more effective. These tools allow us to monitor restoration areas and fire risks in real-time.

Additionally, we developed standards for forest restoration, natural regeneration, mangroves, and conservation projects to guide our efforts. We follow a two-step verification process: off-site by reviewing the project’s restoration plan, and on-site by conducting visits to ensure compliance with our standards. Only projects that fulfill our standards can collect donations via our platform. Projects that do not meet all standards or need help in other ways can make use of our free restoration advice.

Q6. Where does Plant-for-the-Planet stand in their mission to restore up to 1 trillion trees?

The world currently has 3 trillion trees and the potential to restore one trillion lost trees. It is essential that we protect our existing forests and bring those lost forests back.

However, we are currently still losing about 10 billion trees every year. That is roughly equivalent to the total number of trees in Germany. While the deforestation rate has gone down substantially since its peak in the 1980s, we are still moving further away from our goal every year.

Plant-for-the-Planet is working hard with our collaborators to reverse that trend. Our tools like tracer.eco and our forest rangers help to protect existing forests while we regrow destroyed forests. Through the Plant-for-the-Planet platform 86 million trees have already been donated.

Q7. What can a person do to support restoration projects?

Many restoration projects are nonprofits organized by civil society. If you find one in your neighborhood, you can probably offer a helping hand. If you can’t find a project where you can get active, you can go to our platform and select from more than 250 projects worldwide that need financial support to reach their restoration goals. You can donate on the platform. It is a very simple process. But you can also create a membership page, set yourself a planting goal and invite your friends to join you. This way you will help us to raise awareness and multiply your contribution.

On World Environment Day 2024, join Generation Restoration, take action to grow forests, revive water sources, and bring back soil by supporting restoration projects with Plant-for-the-Planet.

You can plant trees with IGEL and Plant-for-the-Planet and plant 24,000-trees in 2024

The post Take action with Forest Restoration and make an impact on Generation Restoration appeared first on IGEL.

Visiting the Maldives archipelago fits most people’s idea of paradise. Within the huge network of 26 atolls are 1,192 islands – some inhabited, others not – home to luxury resorts with beachside bungalows, the whitest of soft sand, shaded by palm trees, and an ocean teaming with wildlife.

What might come as a shock is that lurking in this idyllic bliss is the island of Thilafushi.  Close to the capital of Malé, it’s a municipal landfill – an artificial island of rubbish – where 330 tonnes of waste is delivered daily.  Even in one of the most beautiful corners of the world, garbage is creating an environmental catastrophe.

This also goes for e-waste, too.  Research shows it takes 190,000 litres of water to manufacture a single PC, with 85% of the carbon overhead generated during manufacture.

According to an Uptime Institute survey, only 28% of companies consider IT Asset Disposal [ITAD] a key part of their sustainability strategies. This means that most businesses don’t. The result is that they really have no idea how their equipment is actually dealt with and where components end up given there are so many third parties involved in the so-called ‘IT chain of custody’.  This means numerous firms have been inadvertently illegally dumping their IT, especially if an approved and accredited ITAD provider is not used.

IT charity is broken

For years, the developed world has been using low-income developing nations as a dumping ground for IT under the guise of charitable donations.  It is wholly wrong.  Millions of tons of IT waste is generated each year and the ‘west’ has created toxic places on Earth because of this.

Indeed, some 998 million pupils globally still suffer from the digital divide. They just don’t have access to secure and usable IT equipment which would help them boost their earning potential and enable themselves to get out of poverty.

But here we fail, too. Some institutions in West Africa report having hundreds of PCs at their schools.  The problem is that none of them work, such that they are then used as room dividers and even tables. The question of whether the computer technology actually works isn’t typically asked when a container is loaded and shipped.

Add to this the problem of data security. Again, this hasn’t really been addressed properly when it comes to giving away, retiring or recycling equipment. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney was recently fined $35m by the SEC for failing to wipe customer data off around 4,900 servers and hard drives as equipment was replaced

It’s not all doom and gloom – environmental pain is driving innovation

Whilst there is a huge amount of green washing as firms strive to meet ESG goals, there’s great behaviour, too.  Businesses are being inspired and audited by organisations such as Science Based Target Initiatives,  EcoVadis and Morningstar Sustainalytics who are doing a brilliant job at helping companies transition. EcoVadis and Sustainalytics are two ratings companies giving large enterprises bronze, silver, gold awards for their true and proven ESG activities and outcomes.

In addition, if we mine at the same current rates, it’s estimated that gold and silver will run out in circa 15 years and platinum and copper in around 30 years – key components used in the manufacture of electronic devices. However, the good news is that there is already enough out of the ground sitting dormant in electronic waste to keep us going if we moved to a circular economy and recycled it.

Businesses should be disposing of IT assets to end e-waste

So, what are the practical steps companies should take to reduce e-waste?

1. Ensure that the ITAD selected has the right up-to-date certifications.  They should be ADISA certified to standard 8.0 – it’s incredibly strict – along with and ISO 14001 and ISO 27001.
2. Avoid obvious ‘red flags’.  Any firm claiming to collect and recycle IT for free is either going bust or not meeting the above standards.
3. View IT as a product not waste. Many organisations don’t.  If it is seen as product, it can be collected, ethically refurbished and recycled, and put back into the circular economy. In fact, it can be monetized to generate (some) revenue for the company, too.
4. Large companies must have a sensible global outlook given pervasive international standards aren’t there yet and there is huge dissonance in local laws.  For example, there is limited point in a US firm selecting the lowest cost provider for off-shore ITAD– and feeling happy they have done enough – if the local firm then doesn’t recycle to US or EU/UK standards. That gratuitously and immorally passes the environmental buck elsewhere.  Close attention to detail must be paid to the whole IT recycling chain.
5. Recognise that whilst businesses have a responsibility to properly consume and dispose of corporate owned IT, so do individuals.  Most people have an old laptop and various phones sitting in draws and cupboards at home. We run a program called the ‘Urban Mine’ where employees of client firms can bring in their old devices and have the data securely wiped and the unit properly disposed of and recycled by the corporate ITAD.  We estimate that there’s about $65 million worth of recyclable metal salvageable from initiatives like this.
6. Consider working with an ethical IT asset disposal provider for all electronic and IT waste disposal management. Sun Screen IT’s ITAD partner is Centerprise International.  When they process end of life IT equipment from Sun Screen’s clients, they generously donate their margin to Sun Screen IT’s charitable foundation so that 100% of Sun Screen IT’s profits are used to help close the digital divide. Clients can also use one contract to manage all their IT recycling globally, safe in the knowledge that it meets the right standards.

By working effectively like this, companies can cut waste, honestly achieve their ESG agendas and take significant steps to the paradise of a greener future where IT isn’t a major polluter.

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Our mission is to enable sustainable IT. We do this by helping organizations reduce their carbon footprint by extending the useful life of their endpoint hardware. We also help to optimize resources across the IT infrastructure and reduce energy consumption.

Why is Sustainable IT So Important?

Across almost every industry, IT is a contributor to serious sustainability challenges. More than 57 million metric tons of e-waste were produced worldwide in 2021 alone. The production and use of new devices are compounding this problem. Just slowing down the use of new device purchases can offset a great deal of sustainability drain, not to mention the obvious CAPEX savings.

Consider for a moment that 83% of a device’s total carbon footprint is generated during the manufacturing process. If we simply slow down the adoption of new devices, it can have a tremendous effect on e-waste as well as our global carbon consumption.

Now let’s consider the effect of end user computing itself. Research has found that as much as 2.5% of our global emissions come from end user computing and 3% of the world’s power generation is consumed by end user computing devices. That is a significant tax on the Earth which we have the power to affect.

See more about the impact of devices on the global e-waste problem and how technology can help in this video:

IGEL’s Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle  

At IGEL, we have taken our role in enabling sustainable IT to heart. As such, we’re focused on evangelizing responsible business practices to protect the environment. It’s a fundamental part of our policies and partnerships. At the core of our sustainability program are the interconnected principles of what we call the “Three Rs:” reducing, reusing, and recycling resources and products to lower IT’s impact on e-waste and the global carbon footprint. Following is our guidance for IT organizations that also wish to increase sustainability:

• Reduce – By focusing on making responsible choices for energy-efficient devices and optimizing the resources IT and end users use, we can reduce CO₂ emissions and conserve energy. Here we share the importance of choosing devices that have been responsibly manufactured, and enabling devices to reduce power consumption through software that is more efficient (such as with IGEL OS).
• Reuse – We encourage, and through IGEL technology also enable, the reuse of devices and resources enterprises already own. Aging devices can be given new life, so organizations can reduce the need to purchase new devices for longer, thus reducing e-waste and lowering the carbon impact of manufacturing new equipment.
• Recycle – IGEL also advocates the responsible management of IT asset disposal to reduce e-waste and the subsequent adverse effects on human health. By supporting social projects that reuse aging devices and partnering with services for responsible disposition, we are empowering IT sustainability.

Embracing a Culture of Sustainability Beyond Earth Day

Sustainability is an integral part of the IGEL vision, mission, and values. At our core, IGEL has the vision to transform the way the world works, creating better outcomes for people, organizations, and our planet.

Because this sustainability is at our core, we continue to build responsible partnerships and corporate social responsibility programs that underscore our values.

One such program is our involvement in the Plant for the Planet program. Here, we are taking action for a more sustainable future by planting and growing trees while conserving and restoring forest carbon sinks worldwide.

If your views match ours, we invite you to join us in planting and protecting trees. With our partners and customers, IGEL has already raised donations to plant 16,154 trees. We’re close to our 20,000-tree target.

If you’d like to join us in this incredible cause, learn more here. It’s a very meaningful way to celebrate Earth Day together.

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Research from Px3 shows that end-user computing (EUC) generates 1% of global greenhouse gas annual emissions by manufacturing 460 million devices and the associated energy consumed by 4.2 billion users. The use of efficient devices and modern IT infrastructures play a key role in our ability to make a real impact on reducing energy consumption.

Savvy and Cost-Effective IT Buying Decisions

An informed choice of device is critical for savvy procurement decisions that support energy efficiency requirements and policies. To guide IT buyers and consumers in the decision-making process, the Energy Star certification system and trusted ENERGY STAR label are designed to make it easier to identify which products hold a high standard for efficient energy use and reduced C02 emissions.

IGEL’s hardware partners HP, Lenovo, and LG have achieved Energy Star certification on many thin clients, PCs, and laptops. When businesses use energy-efficient products, they save on electricity which contributes to lower CO2 emissions and a reduced impact on the environment. In fact, research shows by running IGEL OS on an endpoint device that offers a small carbon footprint from both an embodied and use perspective, power consumption can be reduced by more than 22% up to 49%.

Reuse and Repurpose Devices to Optimize IT Resources

By extending the lifespan of existing devices, organizations can significantly reduce the number of emissions required to manufacture a new device. Research shows up to 83% of a device’s total carbon footprint is generated during manufacturing. Therefore, extending the industry standard four-year hardware refresh cycle by multiple years positively impacts reducing emissions in manufacturing and distribution. Further, installing the efficient IGEL OS to upgrade thin clients, PCs, and laptops to a unified, centrally managed and controlled workspace allows access to apps, data, and desktops securely and quickly from anywhere.

A Modern IT Infrastructure for Secure Hybrid Work

The flexibility and agility offered by cloud environments and technology ecosystems of compatible solutions also offer huge potential to further reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption by decreasing dependencies on energy-hungry legacy data centers. Cloud computing enables organizations to offer their employees secure remote and hybrid work options which reduce daily commuting to the office or workplace, and further help to reduce energy use.

These are examples of how smart IT choices can help organizations reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption by choosing technology that optimizes IT resources, reuses hardware for longer, and supports secure hybrid work.

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Research shows the demand for environmentally sustainable business is growing across the world. Many consumers and organizations believe businesses bear as much responsibility for positive change as governments. As a result, organizations are increasingly looking toward fundamentally transforming themselves to help drive down carbon emissions, costs and to reflect the growing demands for environmentally sustainable business practices.

A study by Lancaster University and Small World Consulting Ltd found that IT equipment share of global greenhouse gas emissions could be around 2.1-3.9%. This means that the IT industry produces more green gas emissions than the aviation industry, which are around 2% of global emissions (link: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/emissions-from-computing-and-ict-could-be-worse-than-previously-thought)

The good news is that there are technologies than can support sustainability such as Virtualized Windows Applications and Desktops and its supporting technologies. Virtualization when deployed with the right tools and solutions can not only reduce power and air conditioning requirements but also extend the useful life of aging laptop and PC hardware. Add to this collaboration tools with Unified Communications (UC) and you have a flexible hybrid working solution that has the potential to boost productivity while supporting sustainability. These technologies can not only help organizations drive down their direct power consumption but can also reduce the carbon emissions generated by the manufacturing of new devices – in addition to supporting a dramatic shift in working practice. They also support hot-desking strategies while providing access to secure flexible remote working. As a result, organizations can now leverage solutions and technology to deliver significant reductions in their carbon footprint – and deliver bottom-line value.

The changing focus

As organizations worldwide begin to face up to the increasing likelihood of government legislation on carbon emissions, there is a general acceptance that every aspect of the business needs to consider its carbon footprint – and of course, IT is a major contributor. Greener IT is not just about reassessing an organization’s IT infrastructure, it is also about its working practices. Could increased home or remote working be considered to reduce employee travel? How can video conferencing be strategically used to cut down travel to meetings? Can repurposing existing PC hardware extend its useful life and reduce the impact that new hardware creates? Should a hot-desking policy be used to reduce the volume of desktop infrastructure?

And of course, all these decisions must balance cost, security, flexibility, and the environment – but the underpinning business focus must be the bottom line. The good news is that many of the tools and techniques for improving the green status of the IT department will typically also cut costs significantly.

The virtual approach

In the past, the adoption of server virtualization across the data centers dramatically reduced power consumption reducing the number of physical machines and their associated air conditioning. Now organizations are considering following the same model in the office environment. The adoption of a virtual model has the potential to further drive down power consumption to save money and boost green credentials. By adopting Virtual Apps and Desktops and their complementary solutions, organizations can fundamentally transform working practices, increase flexibility, and further reduce costs.

The modern office

Given the cost and environmental benefits, it is little surprise that many organizations now have virtual apps and desktops firmly on the agenda. However, many have yet to recognize the many knock-on effects virtual apps and desktops can have on working practices. By combining virtualization with Unified Communications in the right way, organizations can truly transform the working environment for their employees, saving money, reducing the carbon footprint, and deliver a better experience for their employees.

By integrating the telephony solution into their collaboration solution, organizations can further reduce power consumption and costs – and significantly reduce their maintenance overhead. But this only works if the right technologies are selected and configured with careful consideration.

Virtual apps and desktops can also fundamentally transform the environmental impact of desktop support. Virtual apps and desktops can be supported remotely, significantly reducing the carbon emissions associated with sending staff for physical support. As a further benefit, this remote management also increases uptime, boosting employee productivity and drastically reducing costs.

How to implement flexible working while extending the life of devices

Extending the useful life of Laptops and PCs

By repurposing aging laptops and PCs, organizations can build a simple to use, easy-to-manage, secure access solution for their virtual environments. They no longer need to dispose of aging endpoint devices that still work – but can instead simply upgrade them to a compact secure OS (such as IGEL OS). Devices that do not have the power to support the latest Windows OS can leverage the Edge OS. The lightweight OS uses less endpoint CPU and local resources. As a result, even devices that are up to eight years old (including thin clients, laptops, and desktops) can be used to access virtual apps and desktops – including Windows 10/11, even if they were never able to run it natively. This simple to manage solution not only saves organizations the cost of major upgrades, but it also keeps older computers out of landfills and in use for much, much longer. A recent survey demonstrated that such a strategy, which extended the life of Windows-based PC for 2 additional years can help reduce 40% emissions per 1000 users. (CEBR study for Citrix: Page 14 )

Collaboration tools

An integrated collaboration solution within a virtual environment provides a great user experience too – but running these types of tools (such as Microsoft Teams) in a virtual environment can be problematic as they can have high resource requirements for the backend infrastructure. To mitigate this, the right choice of access endpoint is essential. The right access solution enables the strategic offloading of functions to the access device (such as audio or video calling). Choosing the right Edge OS (such as IGEL OS) results in an improved employee experience, often with lower backend hardware costs – while also enabling a great experience for IT to support the solution to keep it up-to-date and secure.

Virtual Apps and Desktops

By using Virtual Apps and Desktops, employees can work from home one or two days a week reducing the business commuting mileage and hence dramatically reducing carbon footprint.

Public Cloud

Whatever your choice of public cloud (e.g., AWS, Azure or GCP), moving VDI to a public cloud utilizes bigger and more efficient data centers which have great economies of scale and in some cases can even be carbon neutral.

Hot Desking

Consider deploying a hot-desk environment. With this type of solution, users not only gain immediate access to their data, regardless of the location from which it was last accessed, but also the collaboration technology which automatically transfers that user’s video and audio sessions to their current location. This enables employees to work anywhere in the building at any time, fundamentally improving space utilization and reducing waste.

Flexible Working

This integrated approach works not only in the office, but also supports far more cost-effective hybrid remote working as calls are automatically routed to the device – wherever it is.

Collaboration tools support the adoption of cross-departmental teams using video conferencing to reduce the need to travel to meetings. By reducing overall employee travel time, organizations can not only drive down the level of carbon emissions but also boost productivity and support strategies for improving employee work/life balance.

Security

The use of the edge OS architecture ensures that critical data is never held on the machine – users can securely use wi-fi or 4G/5G connections to access the corporate servers when outside the secure office environment. It can also further secure the environment by limiting the dangers of viruses (with the use of dedicated virtual browser solutions) and with no admin access to the local device, it is impossible to download and store files. And, with all documents automatically stored centrally, organizations can avoid the endemic problem of data loss caused by individuals opting to save their data locally, despite clear corporate policies to the contrary.

Conclusion

There is growing pressure on organizations to meet their environmental responsibilities, but environmentally sustainable business is about more than just reducing power consumption and scaling down the IT infrastructure. It is about supporting the employee to drive down emissions through flexible hybrid working, enabling collaboration and conferencing to reduce travel requirements.

Critically, with the right approach, environmentally sustainable business is not just about meeting targets and being seen to be green but adopting efficient, well-managed processes that deliver quantifiable benefits to the bottom line.

Capgemini’s Connected Workspace and Connected Collaboration portfolio of services provide a range of cloud workspace solutions that help you plan the right approach for your organization and create an environmentally sustainable workplace that reduces carbon footprint while enhancing total experience.

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