Sustainability in IT Services

Overview

This page sets out how IT Services is supporting the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy by reducing the impact of our digital estate, improving the way we manage equipment and infrastructure, and helping staff and students make more sustainable digital choices.

Our approach sits alongside the University’s wider sustainability commitments, including our target to reduce emissions associated with IT equipment and services by 30% by 2030, compared with a 2018/19 baseline.

Hardware and devices

A significant part of the carbon impact of IT comes from the manufacture of devices such as laptops, desktops, monitors, tablets and phones. For many devices, most lifetime emissions occur before they are ever used. Reducing unnecessary purchases, extending the life of equipment and reusing devices wherever possible are therefore key priorities.

We are working to reduce the impact of hardware by

• moving towards a one-device norm for University-provided IT equipment, so staff have the equipment they need without unnecessary duplication
• centralising IT device procurement for Professional Services staff, with proposals being developed for academic staff
• extending device lifecycles where this is practical, secure and cost-effective
• improving asset management so equipment can be tracked, reused and redistributed more effectively
• ensuring unwanted equipment follows approved reuse, recycling or disposal routes
• exploring opportunities to donate suitable refurbished equipment to community groups or other organisations where this is possible and appropriate

All end-of-life IT equipment is disposed of through Aspire Sheffield, a local social enterprise specialising in secure data destruction and computer recycling. In 2025 we diverted 3,763 devices from landfill through this route, all reused, recycled or securely destroyed. The largest category was hard drives (2,086), reflecting the volume of machines passing through secure data destruction, followed by all-in-one PCs (643), laptops (405), desktop PCs (333) and mobile phones (180), with smaller volumes of servers, networking equipment, printers, monitors and other WEEE.

The partnership also delivers a community benefit beyond recycling. Aspire provides training and employment support for people from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds, including those with disabilities or learning difficulties, so equipment the University no longer needs helps create opportunities elsewhere in the city. We don't currently run a separate community donation scheme for refurbished devices, but this route means our retired equipment already supports social value locally, and we are open to exploring donation options where they can be delivered securely and appropriately.

We also support the wider University aim to reduce waste and improve circularity by making better use of existing assets before buying new equipment.

Server, cloud and data infrastructure

The University operates a large and complex digital infrastructure to support teaching, research and professional services. This includes data centres, servers, networking, high-performance computing, cloud services and storage.

Our on-campus data centres are run from University buildings, managed through Estates and Facilities Management, using University-owned equipment. The University purchases 100% renewable electricity for its estate and this purchased electricity is used to power these facilities. The University is also working through its wider decarbonisation programme to move away from fossil-fuel heating and improve the energy performance of its buildings.

Our high performance computing service is hosted in a managed data centre operated by Equinix. This facility is not directly powered by renewable electricity, but its electricity use is fully matched through the purchase of Energy Attribute Certificates, and Equinix publishes its own sustainability commitments and reporting.

We also use public cloud services, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), where the scale of the provider typically allows higher energy efficiency than an equivalent on-premises data centre. AWS publishes efficiency and carbon-free energy data for its UK operations.

We are working to improve the efficiency of our digital infrastructure by

• reviewing and resizing the internal server estate to better match demand and improve energy efficiency
• including power-management features in the IT Services Network Transformation Project
• improving the way we measure the carbon impact of IT hardware, cloud services and procurement
• developing better carbon accounting for digital services, including areas where data is currently difficult to measure
• working with suppliers to understand and reduce the impact of the services we buy

When procuring server, cloud and infrastructure services, we aim to consider sustainability and supplier environmental performance as part of the procurement process, using national frameworks that include a weighting for sustainability and energy use.

Software, websites and data

Software and digital services have environmental impacts through the infrastructure and energy needed to develop, host, transmit and use them. The University’s sustainability strategy recognises that software licences, subscriptions, cloud computing and data storage are part of our IT-related Scope 3 emissions.

We are working to improve the sustainability of our digital services by

• reviewing the carbon impact of software, cloud and subscription-based services
• reducing unnecessary data storage across shared platforms where possible
• applying retention and housekeeping approaches to email, Google Drive and other digital storage services
• encouraging staff and students to manage files responsibly and delete data that no longer needs to be kept
• considering website performance and data transfer as part of how we manage our public web estate

We use a B-Corp Certified hosting provider, Upsun, for our websites, which equips us with the tools to optimise and reduce our carbon emissions. As standard, we use image optimisation and GZip distribution to reduce the size of data being transmitted and always seek to deliver lean code to avoid bloat and cache content using regional CDN.

Our traffic is served via the Fastly CDN, with caching local to users across the globe. Our website is regularly reviewed for response time and content.

Digital good practice for staff and students

Everyone can help reduce the environmental impact of digital technology through small, practical choices. IT Services supports staff and students to use digital systems efficiently, securely and responsibly.

This includes guidance and campaigns on

• switching off IT equipment when it is not needed
• using power-management settings
• avoiding unnecessary printing and using digital alternatives where appropriate
• managing files and deleting data that no longer needs to be retained
• using University systems in line with information security, records management and data protection requirements
• reporting unused or surplus equipment so it can be reused or disposed of through approved routes

Each year, the University ensures that all electrical equipment is switched off where possible during closure periods.

We are investigating options to automatically turn off computer equipment in communal areas when not in use. 

Reducing our printing footprint

We have recently centralised our print paper management which has seen a reduction in deliveries (down 470) and increase in the use of recycled paper (up 40%). In addition we have an active campaign to target high-print users and raise awareness of central print options and digital first alternatives. Later this year, the University will be conducting a review of its print estate with the view to reduce print volumes further. 

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence tools can support teaching, research and professional services, but they also bring risks and responsibilities. These include the reliability of AI outputs, privacy and data protection, legal and intellectual property considerations, the need for human accountability, and the environmental impact of energy-intensive digital systems.

The University provides guidance for staff and students on the responsible use of AI, as well as principles for the use of Generative AI for productivity purposes. This guidance sets out expectations for how AI should be used, including the importance of checking outputs, protecting confidential information, understanding limitations, and being transparent where AI has been used.

When using AI tools, staff and students should

• remain accountable for any work they produce
• check outputs carefully rather than assuming they are accurate
• avoid entering confidential, personal or sensitive information into tools that are not approved for that purpose
• consider whether AI is necessary for the task, particularly where a lower-impact tool or process would be sufficient
• follow University guidance on academic integrity, research integrity, information security and data protection

Measuring progress

The University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy commits us to improving the way we measure and reduce emissions from IT equipment and services. This includes work to improve carbon accounting across IT hardware, cloud services and procurement, as well as regular reporting through the University’s sustainability governance.

Progress against the IT and digital commitments in the strategy is overseen through the University’s sustainability governance arrangements, with the Director of IT acting as the accountable lead for IT and digital sustainability.

We will continue to improve our data, work with suppliers, and update our approach as evidence, technology and best practice develop.