Q&A: How Does Dell Technologies Approach Sustainability?
As the Sustainability Lead for the Global Presales Technical Community at Dell Technologies, Maria is responsible for helping Dell’s customers approach sustainability and ESG targets from a technology perspective.
She works across the organisation to support a pragmatic approach to sustainability, identifying tools to drive a people-centred approach to the company’s 2030 goals.
Please give a brief overview of Dell Technologies' sustainability strategy.
Sustainability has always been integral to how we operate — woven into our processes, products and the ways we help customers achieve their goals. We take an end-to-end approach to sustainability.
The back end is where we embed sustainability within our operations and the broader ecosystem. Across the organisation — whether it’s accounting, engineering, global operations or sales — every team contributes. This foundation drives material innovation with suppliers, energy-efficient product designs and collaboration to meet evolving regulations and reporting requirements. It’s how we explore new intersections between technology and energy, creating impactful change.
The front end is what customers and partners experience. It’s how we help them to right-size their workloads and advise on renewable energy sources. It’s our sustainable data centres built with leading liquid and air cooling, emissions tracking and energy efficiency. It’s the recycled materials in our AI PCs, and recycling and recovery services for responsible retirement or reuse of systems. We consider sustainability in every offering — including our as-a-Service solutions for more flexible IT management.
By connecting robust internal operations with impactful customer solutions, we bring sustainability to every step of the process, fostering progress for businesses and the planet.
Why is adopting smarter product design essential to promote circularity?
Reliance on electronic devices has increased but so has the issue of e-waste. According to the WHO, in 2022, an estimated 62 million tons of e-waste were produced globally, with only 22.3% documented as formally collected and recycled. We face the very real consequences of e-waste generation outpacing recycling efforts. We must move from a linear “take-make-dispose” methodology to a circular model that prioritises resource efficiency, waste reduction and long-term sustainability.
Product design dictates how practical it is to reuse and refurbish components or harvest recyclable materials at the end of a device’s life. For components that we can’t easily reuse, good design ensures easy disassembly, clear markings, minimal paintings and coatings and simplified material choice.
A great example of smart design is our new modular USB-C port. Launched as part of our new AI PC portfolio earlier this year, it is a revolutionary innovation focused on replacing solder with screws. Commonly used USB-C ports are typically soldered to the mainboard, which is one of the most emission-intensive parts to manufacture. Separating these ports from the mainboard and using screws instead of solder allows for easier access without risking damage to critical components. The new ports are up to four times more durable and easily replaceable.
Smart product design considers sustainable materials, like low-emissions aluminum, biobased plastic and recycled cobalt, steel and copper. For example, innovations in battery chemistry mean that alongside customer replaceable batteries, we can now also offer batteries that use up to 80% less cobalt, reducing our dependence on critical minerals.
We don’t have to choose between competitive innovation and being environmentally responsible. Instead, we can embrace an end-to-end approach to sustainability: where resources are valued, products are designed with sustainable materials and waste is minimised.
How can businesses balance opportunities with responsibility through AI?
We’ve seen from our work with customers and partners that driving AI in a sustainable way is absolutely achievable. When customers introduce sustainability and efficiencies as a measurement or KPI in the process of scoping a project, sustainability becomes a change driver resulting in better energy efficiency, operational efficiency, cost savings and the ability to meet upcoming regulations.
It is true that certain AI workloads can be energy intensive, meaning we must be responsible in our use of AI. But AI also represents huge opportunities; it can help us tackle some of the planet’s biggest challenges more quickly than humans ever could before.
Customers are using AI's powerful predictive capabilities and intelligence to optimise supply chain management, reduce transportation needs and minimise waste. Nature Fresh Farms, for example, use AI and analytics to improve grower productivity, efficiency and overall yields.
Smart building management systems powered by AI can optimise energy consumption in buildings. And AI can help tap into a wealth of sustainability-related data, identifying hidden patterns and insights to reveal opportunities for improvement that we might otherwise have missed.
The opportunities of AI to address sustainability issues abound, and there are several ways enterprises can ensure that they adopt and run that AI sustainably. In our joint white paper with BT, “5 Steps to Sustainable GenAI” we outline a five-step approach to GenAI adoption while limiting its environmental impact.
The five steps demonstrate that with careful planning and the right level of expertise, it is possible to balance responsibility and opportunity:
1) Establish your carbon baseline
2) Embed sustainability across your infrastructure
3) Right size your investment with as-a-service models
4) Bring AI to your data
5) Collaborate with partners and suppliers
Why should businesses take an end-to-end approach when integrating sustainability throughout business operations?
We take an end-to-end approach to sustainability because we know that minimising environmental impact while maximising AI's benefits requires a strategic, comprehensive approach — considering everything from hardware to data centre operations and software optimisation.
Business should weave sustainability throughout business operations, extending outwards to suppliers, partners and customers. Clear, internal and external alignment on these goals makes it easier to drive smarter design innovation, pioneer new energy solutions and navigate changing regulatory landscapes.
Cross-functional collaboration is key to empowering change within the whole ecosystem. A truly sustainable future requires determined effort and continuous innovation.
What advice would you give to leaders looking to use the potential of AI whilst managing their environmental responsibilities?
GenAI represents a huge opportunity for businesses. With the market predicted to surpass £ 1 trillion by 2032, it is a truly transformational technology. However, with such potential to be energy-intensive and contribute to e-waste, it demands proactive mitigation strategies. As businesses face increasing regulatory, shareholder and cost pressure to reduce their environmental impacts, it is not something that can wait.
Right sizing operations to avoid unnecessary computational waste and excessive energy consumption — ultimately minimising AI’s environmental impact and costs — requires careful planning and the right expertise. Navigating that process can’t rely on a single product or even a set of best practices: it depends on the right combination of intelligence, strategy, technology and services.
According to our Innovation Catalysts Research, 57% of UK ITDMs say they need the help of a third-party partner to achieve their sustainability goals. The rapid advancement of mainstream AI necessitates a new spirit of collaboration, with businesses, technology providers and policymakers working together to drive progress.
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