Enterprises in Ireland Spending on Average €1.3M Annually on Green Technology

• Nearly three-quarters (74%) of enterprises are using green technology – 11% more than those in the UK
• Just over nine in ten (91%) have already or will invest in AI-driven sustainability solutions within the next two years
• Vast majority (82%) of respondents said AI has a significant role to play in achieving sustainability targets
• Two in five (40%) IT decision makers say they would leave their current role to work for a company that is known for leading on sustainability

A new survey from Irish IT services provider Auxilion, and supported by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has revealed that enterprises in Ireland are spending, on average, just over €1.3M annually on green technology (technology which is intended to mitigate or reverse the effects of human activity on the environment). This equates to an overall spend of nearly €1B¹ across Iarger companies and enterprises in Ireland.

The study – carried out by Censuswide and involving more than 100 IT decision-makers in enterprises (250+ employees) across Ireland – found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of enterprises are already using green tech, with Ireland 11% ahead of their counterparts in the UK in terms of adoption of green technology².

It further revealed that 91%³ have already or will invest in AI-driven sustainability solutions within the next two years. Some 82% of respondents said that AI has a significant role to play in helping to meet sustainability targets.

Cloud computing was also highlighted as a key sustainability asset, with 78% of IT leaders saying the technology is important for achieving ESG goals. Compared to similar Auxilion research carried out in 2023⁴, this year also saw a 12% increase in companies implementing cloud for its environmental benefits (71% versus 83%).

Overall, the increasing importance of sustainability is not lost on today’s IT decision makers, with 86% agreeing that they consider it key to business growth, while 77% said it is a key differentiator when choosing a vendor. The research also showed that sustainability is currently a priority for more organisations than it was a year ago with a similar sample – rising from 75%⁴ to 83%.

Furthermore, operating sustainably is becoming a huge difference-maker when it comes to talent. Two in five (40%) IT leaders said they would leave their current role to work for a company that is known for leading on sustainability, while 81% agreed that it is crucial for recruitment and retention.

Commenting on the results, Auxilion CTO Donal Sullivan said: “As shown by this research and our recently released report, it is really positive to see organisations putting their money where their mouth is by investing in green technology to help the environment and reduce their carbon footprints. With sustainability only set to grow in importance across the value chain, businesses also need to leverage technologies – from AI to cloud – and service providers which enable them to support their sustainability goals and meet targets.

“Going green also makes business sense in terms of attracting customers and talent, thus driving growth and futureproofing operations. As we move steadily towards a more environmentally conscious era of doing business and where a failure to be eco-friendly could cause businesses to lose out, we expect the investment in green technology to rise even further. However, organisations need to be smart when it comes to this investment to ensure they get the real value of and can make a real impact with these technologies.”

-ENDS-

Notes to the editor:

¹Calculation for total national investment: Average spend (€1,314,615.65) multiplied by 738 (most recent CSO report says enterprises of +250 employees account for 0.2% of the 369,030 enterprises in Ireland – 738) = €970,186, 349.70.

² Survey conducted by Censuswide, surveying 100 IT decision-makers in enterprises (250+ employees) aged 18+ across the UK in February 2024 (14.02.2024-19.02.2024). Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

³ This statistic is a combination of the answer options ‘Yes, we have already invested’ and ‘Yes, we have plans to’.

⁴ These research comparisons are based on data from a similar sample of 209 full time or part time ITDMs in enterprises (with 250+ staff) in ROI, aged 18+ from a survey conducted by Censuswide between 21.06.2023-26.06.2023.