Consider these sustainability factors

When choosing a public cloud service, think about factors such as:

• data-centre efficiency
• electricity generation profile
• water usage
• waste
• climates that apply
• use of carbon offsets.

Goal: reduce emissions and get to carbon neutrality

If done well, public cloud offers the potential to help with the emission-reduction aims of the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP). Public cloud can help the public sector in becoming carbon neutral from 2025.

CNGP — Ministry for the Environment

Sustainability rule for government organisations

For finding and buying goods and services, New Zealand Government Procurement’s sustainability rule explains when government organisations must support the procurement of low-waste and low-emissions goods and services to assist with significant waste reduction.

Rule 20: Transitioning to a net zero emissions economy and designing waste out of the system — NZ Government Procurement

Developing sustainability principles

Ways to measure sustainability are still being developed in New Zealand and overseas.

In the meantime, the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) is working to create high-level principles to help government organisations sustainably use public cloud services. To do this, the MfE is working with:

• the Department of Internal Affairs
• the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment
• iwi
• Māori.

Current guidance on measuring emissions

• Measuring emissions: A guide for organisations (2022 detailed guide) — MfE
• CNGP: A guide to managing your greenhouse gas emissions — MfE