UK IT leaders are struggling to meet sustainability targets

Most UK IT leaders believe their organizations aren’t doing enough to meet their own sustainability targets, new research shows.

In a recent study from IT service management firm Flexera, 93% said sustainability is increasing in priority, yet 83% admit their organization needs to step up.

A confluence of issues are hampering success on this front, however. Rising cloud computing costs are straining budgets, cited by 69% of respondents, while nearly half (46%) said they feel overwhelmed by the volume of cost and usage data they receive.

These surging data volume means sustainability teams are swamped, preventing them from identifying key focus areas.

“Without full visibility of what their technology estate is costing, consuming and emitting, businesses cannot evidence clearly whether cloud and AI investments are advancing or undermining their climate goals,” said Marlon Oliver, senior vice president EMEA at Flexera.

Access to sustainability data is improving, the researchers found, with 79% of IT decisionmakers saying it’s easy to access such data within their organizations. However, sustainability goals often appear to be grouped with regulatory compliance, which is seen as a lower priority than AI integration, cost reduction and risk mitigation.

Flexera recommends integrating sustainability into technology choices, evaluating cloud migration, SaaS adoption, and AI investments through both cost and sustainability lenses.

Similarly, sustainability metrics should be used alongside financial and operational KPIs to guide investments and measure impact.

Always keep sustainability in mind

Crucially, the study noted that sustainability must be taken into account during IT modernization projects. Researchers said these considerations should be prioritized alongside areas such as security and data protection.

Collaboration across IT, procurement, and sustainability teams should also be encouraged, with clear ownership and incentives for sustainable outcomes.

"Closing the gap between sustainability ambition and execution requires integrating sustainability into every facet of IT —from strategy and procurement to daily operations," said Mark Bradley, senior manager, product management, at Flexera.

"By leveraging robust data, fostering cross-functional collaboration and embedding sustainability into decision-making, IT leaders can drive both environmental and business value."

The research comes as the UK prepares for new Sustainability Reporting Standards, expected to apply for accounting periods beginning in 2026.

The standards, which are aligned with the ISSB framework, will require large and listed firms to report more transparently on climate-related risks and impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.

For many organizations, that will mean accounting for the footprint of technology operations, such as data centers and cloud infrastructure, where these are a material source of emissions.

“Boards are expected to show climate progress in ways that can be proven against reporting standards," said Oliver

"Right now, IT leaders are facing rising bills and data that do not add up to a clear story. And until that changes, organisations will find it difficult to deliver the results that regulators, and their own stakeholders, now expect."

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