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Sustainability has an effect. When it becomes a financial factor.

Between tight budgets, innovation pressure and growing complexity, ESG often becomes a litmus test for IT decision-makers. Those who are now thinking strategically about sustainability not only create regulatory certainty, but also an economic advantage. Circular IT use makes ESG manageable – and a measurable financial KPI.

Green IT has enormous potential – and yet it doesn't show up on many road maps.

Many companies talk about sustainability – but very few have a solid green IT strategy. IT causes up to 35 % of the CO₂ footprint* and at the same time binds valuable capital that is missing elsewhere. CSRD requirements (which are sometimes relaxed) do not change the pressure to act: Sustainability must become measurable and economically viable. This calls for a solution approach that combines environmental objectives with financial controllability.

*McKinsey-Study: The green IT revolution: A blueprint for CIOs to combat climate change

Turn sustainability into a lever for performance.

Resource conservation has long been more than just a CSR topic – it has an effect on financing, valuation and risk management. Circular usage models link ESG objectives with financial strategic impact: OPEX instead of CAPEX, lower TCO, improved return rates and robust reporting. This turns CO₂ reduction into a measurable performance factor.

From CapEx to OpEx – Freeing up liquidity

Moving from capital expenditure (CapEx) to operating expenses (OpEx) gives companies more leeway on their balance sheets. Instead of tying up capital, predictable expenses arise with tax benefits – through means such as sale-and-lease-back models. This can reduce the fixed asset ratio and improve ROCE, especially for complex IT portfolios. According to Gartner, 77 %* of strategically managed IT organizations today focus on continuous spend optimization to ensure liquidity, scalability, and strategic control.

*Gartner Research, Executive Essentials, 2023

Device quality optimizes TCO and CO₂ balance

 

Quality of returns is an economic factor: Over 30 % of IT devices are returned damaged – this causes costs and reduces the residual value. Even simple protective measures such as display protection or hard cases extend service life and increase remarketing revenue. Studies show: Business concepts can reduce raw material consumption by up to 2/3 compared to purchasing without remarketing and reduce CO2 emissions by 30-50 %*.


*VITO NV, Environmental impact of different IT procurement models – a comparative scenario analysis, 2022

Manage ESG – instead of just reporting

Modern ESG metrics are more than a must: They are becoming a measure of strategic leadership. CSRD-compliant reporting with CO₂ tracking creates data-based decision-making and regulatory security. Anchoring ESG intelligently in lifecycle management not only strengthens governance, but also market position and brand value: Sustainable companies attract up to 50 %* more customers – and impress investors with a clear prospect on returns.

*Harvard Business Review, Research: Consumer’s Sustainability Demands Are Rising, 2023 

To individual advice

Turning green IT into a value driver – with circular tech.

Sustainability becomes a measurable advantage when IT is specifically integrated into the IT infrastructure – controllable, economically effective, ESG-compliant. This is where circular tech comes in: Devices are replaced at the productive sweet spot, protective measures reduce damage rates and increase revenues on returns. Refurbished hardware can be put to targeted use in low-tech sectors instead of locking up capital. Complemented by certified CO₂ compensation and standardized end-of-life processes from a single source, creating a business concept that combines ecological impact and financial efficiency.


As practice has shown: Companies that operate their IT in a circular way not only reduce emissions, but also improve balance sheet metrics, budget control and investment freedom. In particular, strategic advantages emerge in the context of year-end planning and reporting – controllable, robust, and future-proof.

A calculation example:

An international corporation has around 20,000 end devices (notebooks, smartphones, office displays) as well as about 60,000 production-related devices such as auto-ID scanners. The balance sheet value of this IT infrastructure is around €75 million.

By adopting a sale-and-lease-back approach, a modern usage model can be seamlessly integrated. At the same time, a large portion of the tied-up capital is released and can be invested in strategic future projects—while CO₂ emissions are significantly reduced.

Download the “Green IT Checklist” now

Practical guide: 4 steps to sustainable and economical IT use.

In this way, you can combine ecological impact with financial efficiency – structured along the entire hardware lifecycle.

  1. Switch from CapEx to OpEx – gain liquidity and controllability
    Instead of buying IT and tying up capital, rely on usage-based leasing models. This turns high investments into predictable operating expenses – balance-sheet-neutral, tax-advantageous and flexibly scalable. This creates financial leeway for sustainable IT strategies in the sense of the circular economy.

  2. Strategically managing life cycles – ensuring efficiency in the sweet spot
    Refresh your hardware when productivity gains and remarketing value are in the right balance. This avoids performance losses, unnecessary costs and increases the likelihood of a longer lifespan of IT equipment in the further phases of use. The result: a better matching of performance and sustainability – without sacrificing availability or innovation.

  3. Extend service life with standardized device protection
    Integrate protections such as hard cases, keyboard foils, and screen protectors to maximize the lifespan of your devices. This not only increases the return rate and residual value, but also reduces resource consumption and e-waste. A clear advantage – both ecologically and economically.

  4. Systematizing sustainability – making ESG controllable
    With standardized processes for repatriation, remarketing and e-waste management, you can make your IT strategy CSRD-ready. Digital reporting including CO₂ tracking enables you to provide reliable, audit-proof ESG documentation that convinces stakeholders and provides transparency for further optimization screws – without additional effort for your IT.

Today, sustainable IT management means using CO₂, capital and equipment efficiently without compromising on performance, balance sheet or reporting. Circular Tech provides the framework for future-proof IT that has an economic impact – and turns sustainability into a strategic competitive advantage. As a measurable financial KPI.

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