Technology is at the heart of how every modern business operates. But the way we buy, use, and manage IT has consequences that reach far beyond our daily productivity and security. Our IT infrastructure also impacts our community through the resources we consume and the waste we generate.
Sustainability in technology is no longer simply “nice to have” or “good PR.” It influences costs, compliance, reputation, and even your organization’s resilience of an organization.
To address these challenges, Lenovo created Lenovo 360 Circle, a program that brings together Lenovo and its global network of partners to collaborate on sustainability goals. Our PC Corp team is proud to be part of this community and contribute to advancing sustainable IT.
In this article, we’ll explore how sustainability directly affects the operations and IT procurement for Calgary businesses and beyond. You’ll also dive deeper into the specific ways Lenovo 360 Circle is shaping more sustainable IT procurement practices and what takeaways you can integrate in your own organization to improve your efficiency and footprint.
What is Lenovo 360 Circle?
Lenovo 360 Circle is a global partner community dedicated to advancing sustainability across the IT industry. Built within the Lenovo 360 Partner Program (a global channel partner framework that centralizes access to designed to Lenovo products), it unites Lenovo and its partners to accelerate progress toward more responsible business practices.
The program provides resources, collaboration opportunities, and a framework for aligning technology decisions with long-term environmental and social goals.
Lenovo outlines three pillars for success that guide the work of 360 Circle:
- Business Transformation: The IT industry needs to shift from product-focused sales to service-driven, lifecycle-conscious models, changing the entire ecosystem to create a more sustainable, lasting impact.
- Collaborative Leadership: Tackling sustainability challenges requires shared responsibility. This program helps partners, customers, and experts pool resources and ideas, taking a collective approach that ensures progress isn’t made in isolation but across the full value chain.
- Championing the UN’s Agenda: The program seeks to advance progress on the UN’S Sustainable Development Goals, a key part of Lenovo’s work as a long-term signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (Our PC Corp team also joined the UNGC in 2024!)
What Problem Does Lenovo 360 Circle Address?
This type of program is especially important in the IT industry, which contributes significantly to global emissions as every stage of the technology lifecycle can contribute to the problem.
A large share of these impacts falls into the category of Scope 3 emissions. These are the indirect emissions that happen outside of a manufacturer’s direct control, such as:
- Product use: The electricity consumed by laptops, servers, and data centers over their lifetimes.
- Transportation: The fuel burned to move equipment through global supply chains.
- End-of-life disposal: The environmental cost of e-waste, including toxic materials and lost opportunities for reuse or recycling.
The consequences of Scope 3 emissions are far-reaching. They account for the majority of IT’s carbon footprint, yet they are the hardest to measure and manage. Left unchecked, these emissions contribute to rising energy demands, increase waste streams, and put mounting pressure on natural resources.
The complexity of Scope 3 means that individual companies can’t tackle the issue alone. With a program like Lenovo 360 Circle, businesses have support to turn sustainability from an abstract goal into measurable progress.
The Business Consequences of Inaction
Beyond affecting the environment, failing to address sustainability in IT has real business costs. If your organization operates “business as usual”, you’ll face challenges that directly impact your operations and competitiveness:
- Rising operational costs: Outdated, inefficient infrastructure consumes more energy and requires more frequent replacement, driving up both utility bills and capital expenses. Poor lifecycle management also increases waste and complicates asset tracking.
- Regulatory risks: Environmental standards are tightening worldwide. Companies that fail to measure and reduce their emissions could face compliance penalties, reporting gaps, or barriers to doing business in certain markets.
- Loss of talent and customers: Employees and clients increasingly prefer organizations that demonstrate strong environmental and social responsibility. Businesses that lag behind may find it harder to attract top talent or win contracts with sustainability-conscious partners.
- Falling behind competitors: As more companies embrace ESG commitments, those that delay action risk being left behind and missing out on innovation, efficiency gains, and market opportunities that come with sustainable practices.
It’s clear, inaction creates vulnerabilities that affect the bottom line and long-term viability of the business.
The Value of Responsible Lifecycle Management
A few years ago, when a local government organization was preparing for a scheduled equipment refresh, they worked with PC Corp to find a solution for repurposing their aging, decommissioned devices. Our procurement team helped them come up with a responsible lifecycle management plan to ensure these old endpoints could be put to good use.
While their solution was unique for their context, prioritizing effective IT lifecycle management is an organization’s best approach to relying on a more sustainable IT infrastructure.
IT lifecycle management is the practice of overseeing technology from beginning to end: the moment you purchase a piece of equipment, through its daily use and upkeep, to its eventual retirement and disposal.
There are significant benefits to this approach:
- Cost savings: No need to constantly replace hardware when you regularly maintain and upgrade it. Setting up planned refresh cycles also makes budgeting easier and helps prevent those sudden, unplanned expenses that come with emergency purchases.
- Efficiency gains: Energy-efficient devices and well-optimized infrastructure lower power consumption, while also keeping your operations running smoothly with less infrastructure performance issues getting in the way.
- Waste reduction: Reusing parts and responsibly recycling old equipment helps keep e-waste out of landfills. And fewer replacements mean fewer emissions tied to manufacturing, shipping, and disposal.
- Regulatory compliance: Proper tracking and asset disposal will help you meet environmental standards and reporting requirements. You’ll also be preventing sensitive business data from being exposed through discarded devices.
How PC Corp Participates in This Program
When considering how to make IT more sustainable, it’s not always clear where to begin. Our IT procurement team at PC Corp has been taking action for several years:
- Helping organizations manage equipment in ways that reduce waste and avoid unnecessary energy use.
- Regularly promoting circular economy best practices, encouraging the proper recycling and reuse, or refurbishment of materials whenever possible.
- Making suggestions for individual sustainable tech habits that employees can take, like optimizing device usage or choosing energy efficient devices
We’re also always ready to put new ideas into action, staying up to date on sustainable IT procurement and management practices through Lenovo 360 Circle training and discussions so we can bring those insights to our clients.
Build a Smarter, More Sustainable IT Future with PC Corp
Sustainability in IT is no longer an abstract idea or a distant goal. Every stage of the technology lifecycle has an impact, and programs like Lenovo 360 Circle can provide your business with the structure and community it needs to turn good intentions into meaningful action.
For organizations, there’s a clear message here. Rethinking procurement to embrace responsible lifecycle management lets you reduce costs, maintain compliance, and demonstrate leadership to employees and clients alike.
At PC Corp, we’re proud to bring the Lenovo 360 practices to the businesses we serve and increasing our community impact through our managed IT services and IT procurement for Calgary businesses and beyond.
Want to learn more about what sustainable IT could look like for your organization? Contact us to discuss how we can help you build a technology strategy that’s efficient, resilient, and environmentally responsible.
