NTT DATA Business Solutions AG publishes its first Sustainability Report, marking the start of regular annual reporting. Taking its cue from the guidelines of the German Sustainability Code (DNK), the report provides insights into the efforts made by the internationally operating SAP® consulting company to foster sustainability within the company and along the supply chain.

“I am proud of the publication of our first Sustainability Report. It is an important step for NTT DATA Business Solutions and illustrates our commitment to sustainability as a core element of our corporate strategy. For us as a company and for me as CEO, sustainability orientation and transparent communication of our actions are fundamental prerequisites. We have a responsibility towards our employees, business partners, and customers as well as towards the environment and society generally,” explains Norbert Rotter, CEO of NTT DATA Business Solutions AG and EVP NTT DATA, Inc. “Technology can be an engine for positive change. As an IT service provider, we support our customers with innovative products and digital solutions that help them become more sustainable. While we recognize that we are still in the early stages of our journey, our first Sustainability Report is a clear statement of our aim to have a positive impact on our planet and on society.”

One of the other crucial influencing resources is the international NTT DATA NET-ZERO Vision 2040, which the company is committed to as part of the NTT DATA Group. This stipulates that the NET ZERO target for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions is to be achieved by 2035 – with an interim deadline of 2030 for the data centers.  By 2040, the NET ZERO target is then to be achieved along the entire value chain (Scope 3). The long-term sustainability strategy of NTT DATA Business Solutions has also been crucially informed by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which were adopted by the United Nations. Twelve of these are linked particularly closely to the company’s business activities and are considered directly in the report. The report is divided into three sections, headed Environment, Social, and Governance, for each of which concrete figures, measures and sample projects from the company are provided.

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Data centers under the spotlight

Based on the data for fiscal year 2022/23 (reporting period: April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023), the report focuses on the countries and business units that account for the majority of overall revenues and have a substantial influence on matters relating to sustainability. These also include the data centers in Germany, Denmark, the USA, Poland, and Malaysia. Here, the focus is clearly on energy-efficient operation and use of self-generated solar power, explains Jürgen Pürzer, CFO of NTT DATA Business Solutions. “In Germany, our data centers account for some 80 percent of electricity consumption. Their planning back in 2011 already included aspects of sustainability and they have been operated exclusively using green power since 2021.” In parallel with the increased use of renewable energies, the Travel and Mobility Policy is being revised with the aim of reducing emissions. “To us, ‘Green IT’ does not just mean ‘Green Energy’; we also promote careful use of resources and actively support our customers with their green transformation by providing innovative software solutions.”

Sustainable thanks to innovative IT solutions

Heading towards a climate-neutral circular economy, the SAP Platinum Partner develops IT solutions that will enable its customers to record and reduce emissions, optimize business processes, and lower costs. This involves above all the use of SAP sustainability solutions as well as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT; in every case aiming at facilitating new intelligent business models and more efficient use of business software. The company also promotes the use of software solutions to manage societal challenges; examples include the provision of assistance to people at risk of suicide with the “AI Suicide Helpline”, the transportation of medical goods in inaccessible areas using drones, and the promotion of digital education. All these examples and projects are presented in detail in the report, providing insights into the sustainability work done at NTT DATA Business Solutions.

From fiscal year 2025/26, companies like NTT DATA Business Solutions will be subject to a sustainability reporting requirement. In order to develop a deeper understanding of its customers’ needs and steadily expand its own capabilities in this area, the company made the decision to publish an annual sustainability report even before the above-mentioned requirement comes into force. With this decision, the SAP consulting company intends to create transparency internally and externally so that any improvement potential can be recognized and realized early on. “Transformation into a sustainable enterprise requires perseverance and long-term measures that go beyond short-term achievements. It is therefore necessary for companies to remain self-critical and to keep questioning the course they are on with the aid of sustainability reports and make adjustments if necessary,” Norbert Rotter comments.

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