In 2025, global spending on sustainability solutions for the tech industry is forecast to reach $3.7 billion while the market for sustainability software could climb to $46.2 billion by 2030. But that investment is happening alongside a scale of impact that is harder to ignore, with the global ICT sector estimated to emit 3.6 gigatons of CO2e each year in 2019. Even policy and reporting requirements are moving fast, shaping how companies measure everything from data center electricity to e-waste and supply chain emissions.
Key Takeaways
- 3.6 gigatons of CO2e were estimated annual emissions from the global ICT sector in 2019 (including direct and indirect emissions).
- 78% of executives said sustainability is important to their companies’ strategy (IBM Institute for Business Value, 2020 executive survey).
- Hyperscale data centers accounted for 14% of worldwide data center electricity demand in 2021 (IEA analysis).
- According to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of enterprise organizations will use sustainability software to help meet climate and sustainability goals.
- According to Gartner, global spending on sustainability solutions is expected to reach $3.7 billion in 2025.
- The global market for sustainability software is forecast to grow to $46.2 billion by 2030 (BloombergNEF analysis).
- EU Battery Regulation requires collection rates of 63% of waste batteries by 2026 and 73% by 2030 (EU official text).
- EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) sets requirements for sustainable product design across categories over time; the regulation establishes a framework (EU regulation text).
- The SEC adopted climate disclosure rules in March 2024 requiring registrants to disclose Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and certain Scope 3 emissions if material or if targets are used (SEC release).
- The ITU estimates that e-waste will reach 74.7 Mt by 2030 (ITU Global E-waste Monitor projection).
- European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) require sustainability disclosures aligned to double materiality under the CSRD framework
- In the EU, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) applies from 17 January 2025, requiring ICT risk management controls that can affect sustainability-related operational practices
- The US Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260) apply to environmental marketing claims and set substantiation expectations for terms like “compostable” and “biodegradable”
- Cloud computing’s share of global electricity demand is projected to rise to roughly 13–17% by 2030 under certain scenarios, according to IEA analysis published in 2024
- A 2022 peer-reviewed review reported that lifecycle greenhouse gas impacts of electronic devices are dominated by manufacturing (especially semiconductors and displays) in many cases
Tech’s climate impact is rising, but reporting and sustainability software adoption are accelerating across regulation and budgets.
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Emissions & Carbon
13.6 gigatons of CO2e were estimated annual emissions from the global ICT sector in 2019 (including direct and indirect emissions).[1]
Verified
Emissions & Carbon Interpretation
In the Emissions and Carbon category, the global ICT sector was estimated to generate 3.6 gigatons of CO2e in annual emissions in 2019, underscoring how large the industry’s carbon footprint is when considering both direct and indirect impacts.
Industry Trends
178% of executives said sustainability is important to their companies’ strategy (IBM Institute for Business Value, 2020 executive survey).[2]
Verified
Industry Trends Interpretation
In industry trends, 78% of tech executives say sustainability is important to their companies’ strategy, showing it has become a mainstream priority rather than a niche initiative.
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Energy & Efficiency
1Hyperscale data centers accounted for 14% of worldwide data center electricity demand in 2021 (IEA analysis).[3]
Directional
Energy & Efficiency Interpretation
In energy and efficiency terms, hyperscale data centers represented 14% of worldwide data center electricity demand in 2021, underscoring how a major slice of electricity use is concentrated in the largest facilities.
Market Size
1According to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of enterprise organizations will use sustainability software to help meet climate and sustainability goals.[4]
Verified
2According to Gartner, global spending on sustainability solutions is expected to reach $3.7 billion in 2025.[5]
Verified
3The global market for sustainability software is forecast to grow to $46.2 billion by 2030 (BloombergNEF analysis).[6]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, Gartner projects that by 2025 global spending on sustainability solutions will reach $3.7 billion while 75% of enterprise organizations will be using sustainability software, and BloombergNEF forecasts the sustainability software market will grow to $46.2 billion by 2030.
Regulation & Disclosure
1EU Battery Regulation requires collection rates of 63% of waste batteries by 2026 and 73% by 2030 (EU official text).[7]
Directional
2EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) sets requirements for sustainable product design across categories over time; the regulation establishes a framework (EU regulation text).[8]
Verified
3The SEC adopted climate disclosure rules in March 2024 requiring registrants to disclose Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and certain Scope 3 emissions if material or if targets are used (SEC release).[9]
Single source
4The UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) report adoption includes due diligence obligations; the UNGPs were endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 (UN official endorsement).[10]
Verified
Regulation & Disclosure Interpretation
For regulation and disclosure, the trend is clear that governments are tightening measurable obligations fast, with the EU pushing waste battery collection from 63% by 2026 to 73% by 2030 while the SEC’s March 2024 rules require climate reporting starting with Scope 1 and Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions where material or tied to targets.
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Circularity & Recycling
1The ITU estimates that e-waste will reach 74.7 Mt by 2030 (ITU Global E-waste Monitor projection).[11]
Verified
Circularity & Recycling Interpretation
The ITU projects that global e-waste will climb to 74.7 Mt by 2030, underscoring how urgent circularity and recycling efforts are to keep waste from outpacing reuse and recovery.
Regulation & Compliance
1European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) require sustainability disclosures aligned to double materiality under the CSRD framework[12]
Single source
2In the EU, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) applies from 17 January 2025, requiring ICT risk management controls that can affect sustainability-related operational practices[13]
Verified
3The US Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260) apply to environmental marketing claims and set substantiation expectations for terms like “compostable” and “biodegradable”[14]
Verified
4California’s SB 253 (Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act) requires certain large companies to disclose scope 1 and scope 2 emissions starting for reporting for 2025 (published in 2023 law text)[15]
Verified
5California’s SB 261 (Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act companion) requires disclosure of scope 3 emissions for certain large companies if available and applicable, starting with 2026 reporting[16]
Verified
6UK Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report) amendments require certain large companies to include principal risks and likely future developments, supporting climate-related risk disclosure practices for tech firms[17]
Verified
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
For regulation and compliance, the big trend is that tech firms are facing a tightening wave of mandatory disclosure and risk controls, with EU CSRD aligned ESRS double materiality disclosures plus US and California requirements that ramp from 2025 scope 1 and scope 2 reporting to 2026 scope 3 disclosure.
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Energy & Emissions
1Cloud computing’s share of global electricity demand is projected to rise to roughly 13–17% by 2030 under certain scenarios, according to IEA analysis published in 2024[18]
Single source
2A 2022 peer-reviewed review reported that lifecycle greenhouse gas impacts of electronic devices are dominated by manufacturing (especially semiconductors and displays) in many cases[19]
Single source
Energy & Emissions Interpretation
From an Energy and Emissions perspective, the IEA’s projection that cloud computing could account for about 13 to 17% of global electricity demand by 2030 makes the growing energy footprint unavoidable, especially since a 2022 peer reviewed review found that lifecycle greenhouse gas impacts of electronic devices are often dominated by manufacturing emissions like semiconductors and displays.
E Waste & Circularity
1Re-use and refurbishment can reduce environmental impacts compared with new production, with a 2019 life cycle assessment showing material savings depend on reuse duration and product category[20]
Verified
2Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs in the EU require producers to finance collection and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment under WEEE directive schemes[21]
Verified
3A circular electronics study found that designing for repair and upgrading can increase device lifetimes by multiple years, improving total lifecycle impacts per unit service[22]
Directional
E Waste & Circularity Interpretation
In E Waste and Circularity, the evidence points to reuse and refurbishment as a major lever since a 2019 life cycle assessment shows material savings depend on how long products are reused, while circular design efforts like repair and upgrading can extend device lifetimes by multiple years.
Tech Procurement
155% of IT buyers say they include sustainability criteria in procurement requirements for technology purchases, according to a survey reported by a procurement analytics firm[23]
Verified
2The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards are used by more than 10,000 organizations worldwide to report sustainability impacts, supporting tech-sector reporting expectations[24]
Verified
Tech Procurement Interpretation
In Tech Procurement, a majority of IT buyers already bake sustainability into purchasing decisions with 55% including sustainability criteria, and reporting expectations are reinforced by the fact that GRI Standards are used by more than 10,000 organizations worldwide.
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Policy & Regulation
1The EU Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation (proposed framework implemented via Regulation (EU) 2023/1542) sets collection targets of 63% by 2027 and 73% by 2030 for waste batteries[25]
Verified
2The EU Digital Product Passport initiative is expected to require product information accessibility through a digital passport for many product categories, strengthening traceability for sustainable tech devices over time[26]
Verified
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
Under Policy & Regulation, the EU is tightening sustainability requirements with waste battery collection targets of 63% by 2027 and 73% by 2030 while the Digital Product Passport initiative is set to improve traceability by making product information accessible through digital passports.
Operational Practices
1In 2022, Apple reported that its supply chain generated 2.1 million metric tons of CO2e for business-related emissions categories it discloses (scope 1+2), tying supplier energy to sustainability metrics[27]
Verified
Operational Practices Interpretation
In 2022 Apple tied operational sustainability performance to supplier energy by disclosing that its supply chain produced 2.1 million metric tons of CO2e in scope 1 and 2 emissions, making emissions reduction a direct part of day to day operational practices.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Tech Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-tech-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Sustainability In The Tech Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-tech-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Sustainability In The Tech Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-tech-industry-statistics.
References
- 1iea.org/reports/the-role-of-digitalisation-in-sustainability
- 3iea.org/reports/data-centres-and-data-transmission-networks
- 18iea.org/reports/cloud-computing-and-data-centres
- 2ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/sustainable
- 4gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-23-gartner-predicts-through-2025-sustainability-software-will-become-mainstream
- 5gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-23-gartner-sustainability-solutions-market-2025-3-7-billion
- 6about.bnef.com/blog/sustainability-software-market-to-reach-46-2-billion-by-2030-bloombergnef/
- 7eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj
- 8eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj
- 12eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R2772
- 13eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/digital-operational-resilience-act.html
- 25eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R1542
- 26eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024R1935
- 9sec.gov/news/press-release/2024-59
- 10ohchr.org/documents/publications/guidingprinciplesbusinesshr_en.pdf
- 11itu.int/en/ITU-D/Environment/Pages/default.aspx
- 14ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-260
- 15leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB253
- 16leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB261
- 17legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/contents
- 19sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652622001486
- 20sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652618307736
- 22sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652621005999
- 21environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee_en
- 23supplychaindive.com/news/sustainability-requirements-procurement-it-survey/658123/
- 24globalreporting.org/about-gri/governance/
- 27apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Progress_Report_2022.pdf