Hitachi Vantara unveils inaugural sustainability report

Hitachi Vantara has published its inaugural Sustainability Report, showcasing the company’s commitment to making sustainability a key foundation of its market-leading data infrastructure portfolio and demonstrating its ongoing dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. The report outlines the company’s past and present initiatives, as well as the steps it is taking towards future sustainability innovation and operational excellence, underscoring Hitachi Vantara’s commitment to driving positive change.

In line with emerging and global ESG trends, the Sustainability Report encompasses Hitachi Vantara’s sustainability efforts, covering initiatives undertaken prior to the reorganization in fiscal year 2023 and providing insights into current practices and objectives. The report also reflects the collective effort of Hitachi Vantara’s global workforce, emphasizing collaboration and cross-functionality in advancing sustainable business practices, and aligns with internationally recognized accounting standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Importantly, the report highlights the sustainability innovation, including CO2 reduction technology, that has been built into Hitachi Vantara’s storage infrastructure portfolio for years.

The company has also set ambitious time-bound goals to enhance its ESG performance, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to sustainability leadership. These goals include:

• Working towards a decarbonized society through reduced greenhouse gas emissions by becoming Carbon Neutral in Scope 1 (direct emissions) and 2 (indirect emissions) by FY2030.

• Achieving a 30% ratio of female people leaders by FY2030 to increase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at leadership levels.

• Maturing the company’s Cybersecurity Framework, Controls, and Assurance Management by FY2025 to strengthen security practices and the protection of customer information.

Sheila Rohra, CEO of Hitachi Vantara, emphasized, “Sustainability is not just a buzzword at Hitachi Vantara. We’re committed to environmental responsibility across our operations and products. This includes our eco-friendly storage products, which incorporate cutting edge CO2 reduction technology. We’re also expanding our decarbonization efforts across our global operations and supply chain, as well as using intelligent data lifecycle management to optimize sustainable outcomes for our customers. Our inaugural Sustainability Report provides insight into these initiatives, highlighting the company’s unwavering dedication to being a responsible and socially innovative business.”

Key highlights from the report include:

• Circular Economy and Product Lifecycle Enhancement: Hitachi Vantara is committed to sustainable product design, end-of-life management, and minimizing waste, aligning with circular economy principles. Its Virtual Storage Platform One data platform products are ENERGY STAR certified, with the company’s unique automated switching process reducing power consumption and contributing to lowering CO2 emissions by 30-40% from model to model. This certification signifies a commitment to environmental responsibility alongside substantial energy savings for consumers and businesses.

• Carbon Emissions Management: The company both generates and mitigates energy across our global sites. Its state-of-the-art Netherlands distribution center’s on-site solar panels produce roughly one third of its annual electricity consumption, with the remainder derived renewably from verified Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs).

• Social Impact: Hitachi Vantara is committed to driving positive social impact globally. Its Global Learning team partnered with Mmakgabo Senior Secondary school in South Africa to lessen the digital divide and support students with ambitions to attend college, while in India, the team has been supporting The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a nonprofit organization striving to eliminate classroom hunger.

Hitachi Vantara has already been working with customers around the world to help them improve the efficiency and sustainability of their products, services, and operations. For example, the company delivered a seamless storage migration for BMW Group, which led to a 70% smaller footprint and requires 80% less power, making it much more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Gijima, a South African Information and Communications Technology company, deployed Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform systems to consolidate their physical infrastructure, which led to a 66% reduction in power consumption and reduction in CO2 emissions. Türk Telekom, a Turkish information and communications technology company, implemented a new data architecture that is more environmentally sustainable, reducing their total footprint from 23 cabinets to 9 and decreasing power and cooling requirements by approximately 60%.

Mehmet Fatih Bekin, data center and cloud services director at Türk Telekom, said, “We need to be sure that our storage systems won’t start causing bottlenecks that could impact performance and reliability for our end-users. And just as importantly, the energy efficiency of our new VSP arrays is not just better for the environment, it also reduces our operational expenditure.”