Assignment 1 Plan a Computing Project (PCP)

ASSIGNMENT 1
Qualification

BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Computing

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Unit 06: Planning a computing project

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Table of Contents
A.

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................................7

B.

Content ......................................................................................................................................................................................9
P1: Demonstrate qualitative and quantitative research methods to generate relevant primary data for the environmental impact
of cloud computing. .......................................................................................................................................................................9
I.

What are qualitative and quantitative research? .................................................................................................................9
1)

Overview of Qualitative and quantitative research ..........................................................................................................9

2)

Data collection methods ................................................................................................................................................10

3)

When to use qualitative and quantitative research? ......................................................................................................11

4)

How to analyze qualitative and quantitative data ..........................................................................................................12

II.

What is Cloud computing? ................................................................................................................................................13
1)

Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................13

2)

How does it work? .........................................................................................................................................................15

3)

What benefits does it have? ..........................................................................................................................................16

4)

Why is it called cloud computing? ..................................................................................................................................17

III.

What impact does cloud computing have on the environment and how? ......................................................................17

1)

What positive effects does it have? ...............................................................................................................................17

2)

What negative effects does it have? ..............................................................................................................................19

3)

Any solution to minimize the negative impact? .............................................................................................................21

IV.

Opportunities and risks of cloud computing impact on the environment .......................................................................21

1)

Opportunity ...................................................................................................................................................................21

2)

Risks and challenges ......................................................................................................................................................22

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P2: Examine secondary sources to collect relevant secondary data and information for the environmental impact of cloud
computing. ..................................................................................................................................................................................24
I.

What is a secondary source? .............................................................................................................................................24
1)

Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................24

2)

Examples of sources that can be primary or secondary ..................................................................................................24

3)

Primary vs Secondary: which is better? ..........................................................................................................................26

II.

Relevant secondary data and information on the environmental impact of cloud computing. ..........................................27
1)

Cloud computing energy consumption ..........................................................................................................................27

2)

Carbon emissions of cloud computing ...........................................................................................................................27

3)

Water use of cloud computing .......................................................................................................................................28

4)

Electronic garbage of cloud computing ..........................................................................................................................29

M1: Analyse data and information from primary and secondary sources togenerate knowledge on an identified theme. ...........31
I.

Definition and history of cloud computing.........................................................................................................................31
1)

Definition of cloud computing .......................................................................................................................................31

2)

The development history of cloud computing ................................................................................................................31

3)

Terms and concepts related to cloud computing ...........................................................................................................31

4)

Technologies and advances made in the field of cloud computing .................................................................................32

II.

Impact of cloud computing on the environment. ..............................................................................................................33
1)

Increased energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from data centers and network infrastructure..............33

2)

Consume natural resources and generate waste from the manufacture and disposal of hardware devices. ..................33

3)

Cost and environmental impact of digital activities for users and consumers.................................................................34

4)

Statistics and data related to the impact of cloud computing on the environment. .......................................................34

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III.

Solutions to reduce the impact of cloud computing on the environment. ......................................................................35

1)

Use renewable energy ...................................................................................................................................................35

2)

Optimizing energy efficiency of data centers .................................................................................................................35

3)

Recycle and reuse hardware devices..............................................................................................................................35

4)

Standards and policies related to minimizing the impact of cloud computing on the environment ................................36

5)

Cloud service providers' efforts to reduce environmental impact. .................................................................................36

IV.

The future of cloud computing and the environment. ...................................................................................................37

1)

Forecasts about the impact of cloud computing on the environment in the future. .......................................................37

2)

Cloud service providers' efforts and plans to reduce future environmental impact. .......................................................37

3)

New technologies and advancements in reducing the impact of cloud computing on the environment in the future. ...37

4)

Responsibility of users and businesses to reduce the impact of cloud computing on the environment in the future. ....38

V.

Standards and policies related to cloud computing and the environment. ........................................................................39
1)

Organizations that develop standards and policies on cloud computing and the environment. .....................................39

2)

International standards and policies on cloud computing and the environment. ...........................................................40

3)

National standards and policies on cloud computing and the environment. ..................................................................41

4)

Cloud service providers' efforts to comply with environmental standards and policies. .................................................41

VI.

Cloud service providers' efforts to reduce environmental impact. .................................................................................42

1)

Commitments and goals of cloud service providers to reduce environmental impact. ...................................................42

2)

Technologies and solutions used by cloud service providers to reduce environmental impact. ......................................42

3) Collaborative programs and projects between cloud service providers and other organizations to reduce environmental
impact. .................................................................................................................................................................................43
VII.

New technologies and advancements in reducing the impact of cloud computing on the environment. .......................44

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1)

New technologies and advancements in optimizing the energy efficiency of data centers. ............................................44

2)

New technologies and advances in the use of renewable energy ...................................................................................44

3)

New technologies and advancements in recycling and reusing hardware devices. .........................................................46

4)

New technologies and advances in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. .......................................................................46

VIII.

Responsibility of users and businesses to reduce the impact of cloud computing on the environment. .........................47

1)

Actions users can take to reduce the impact of digital activity on the environment. ......................................................47

2)

Actions businesses can take to reduce the impact of digital activities on the environment. ...........................................48

3) Programs and projects that collaborate between users, businesses, and other organizations to reduce the impact of
cloud computing on the environment. ..................................................................................................................................49
P3: Discuss a business's features and operational areas in the environmental impact of cloud computing. .................................51
I.

Overview ...........................................................................................................................................................................51

II.

Enterprise features in the environmental impact of cloud computing ...............................................................................53
1)

Cost savings ...................................................................................................................................................................53

2)

Flexible ..........................................................................................................................................................................53

3)

Safe ...............................................................................................................................................................................54

4)

Update ..........................................................................................................................................................................55

III.

Business areas in the environmental impact of cloud computing ...................................................................................56

1)

Management .................................................................................................................................................................56

2)

Manufacture ..................................................................................................................................................................57

3)

Development .................................................................................................................................................................58

4)

Business.........................................................................................................................................................................58

5)

Examples of businesses using cloud computing to improve business operations and protect the environment .............59

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6)

Compare and evaluate cloud computing providers in terms of features and environmental impact ..............................60

7) Recommendations and recommendations for businesses when using cloud computing to optimize features and
minimize the negative impact on the environment ...............................................................................................................61
P4: Discuss the role of stakeholders and their impact on the success of a business......................................................................62

C.

I.

Who are the business stakeholders? .................................................................................................................................62

II.

How to identify stakeholder needs, wants, and expectations? ..........................................................................................65

III.

How to effectively manage stakeholders?......................................................................................................................67

IV.

How to measure the effectiveness of stakeholder management? ..................................................................................68

V.

How to enhance corporate social responsibility towards stakeholders? ............................................................................70

Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................................................................72

D. References ...............................................................................................................................................................................74

List of Table
Table 1: The difference between qualitative and quantitative methods. .........................................................................................10
Table 2: Primary source and Secondary sources ..............................................................................................................................25
Table 3: The matrix of stakeholders .................................................................................................................................................63
Table 4: Corporate social responsibility(CSR) ...................................................................................................................................71

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A. Introduction
Recently, digital transformation is expected to profoundly affect all aspects of human life. However, digital transformation
summaries are lacking in the area of the environmental impact of cloud computing. To address this knowledge gap, this
study examines the impacts of digital transformation on the environmental impact of cloud computing, both positive and
negative. I will use qualitative and quantitative research methods to find and deliver the necessary knowledge and
content. Furthermore, the results highlight digital transformations in three key dimensions: energy consumption, carbon
footprint, and how cloud computing can help reduce them, manage and treat waste, and prevent pollution prevention
and control and sustainable resource management. The main aspects that the article will focus on, include the collection
of data and information from secondary sources related to the identified topic, discussion of the features and areas of
activity of businesses in a defined industry, and discuss the role of stakeholders and their influence on the success of the
business. Based on the literature summary, this study also discusses the opportunities and challenges in this field,
attempting to provide a vision for further research.
Cloud computing is a technology that allows users to access and store data on remote servers through the internet. Cloud
computing offers many benefits to individuals and businesses such as cost savings, increased efficiency, flexibility, and
security. However, cloud computing also causes negative impacts on the environment, including energy consumption,
greenhouse gas emissions, and generation of e-waste. According to Greenpeace, the information technology industry can
consume 20% of the world's total electricity by 2025, of which cloud computing is the main factor.
The goal of this report is to study the impact of cloud computing on the environment from different angles. The report will
use quantitative and qualitative research methods to collect and analyze key data from various sources, including surveys,
interviews and observations. The report will also examine data sources and secondary information from related reports,
journals and books. By analyzing data and information from primary and secondary sources, the report generates
knowledge on the identified topic.
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The report will be divided into the following sections:
-

Literature Review(P1): This section will review previous studies related to the impact of cloud computing on the
environment, as well as basic concepts and theories about cloud computing.
Methodology(P1): This section will describe the research methods used to collect and analyze primary and
secondary data, as well as sample selection criteria, question design, and data processing techniques. Whether.
Findings and Discussion(P2): This section will present and discuss the results obtained from primary and secondary
data analysis, as well as compare and evaluate these results with previous studies.
Conclusion and Recommendations(M1): This section will summarize the main points of the report, draw
conclusions about the impact of cloud computing on the environment, as well as suggest solutions and directions
for further research. according to.

The report will also discuss the characteristics and areas of operation of a business related to the impact of cloud
computing on the environment, as well as the role of stakeholders and their impact on the environment. business success
(P3 & P4). The report will choose a specific example, Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the world's largest cloud
computing service providers, to illustrate the points mentioned above.

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B. Content
P1: Demonstrate qualitative and quantitative research methods to generate
relevant primary data for the environmental impact of cloud computing.
I.

What are qualitative and quantitative research?
1) Overview of Qualitative and quantitative research

When collecting and analyzing data, quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research
deals with words and meanings. Both are important to gain different types of knowledge.
 Quantitative Research: Quantitative research is represented by numbers and graphs. It is used to test or confirm
theories and assumptions. This type of research can be used to establish generalizable facts about a topic. Common
quantitative methods include experiments, numerically recorded observations, and surveys with closed-ended
questions.
 Qualitative Research: Qualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to understand concepts, thoughts, or
experiences. This type of research allows you to gather insights on topics that are not well understood. Common
qualitative methods include interviews with open-ended questions, verbally described observations, and literature
reviews that explore concepts and theories.
Quantitative and qualitative research uses different research methods to collect and analyze data and allows you to
answer different types of research questions.
They differ as follows:
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Action

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Focus

Exploring ideas or formulating hypotheses/theories

Testing hypotheses or theories

Analysis

Summarising, categorizing, interpreting

Mart and statistical analysis

Expressed in

Words

Number. Graphs, tables, fewer words

Sample

Few respondents

Many respondents

Questions

Open-ended

Close-ended or multiple choice

Characterized by

Understanding, context, complexity, subjectivity

Testing, measurement, objectivity,
replicability

Table 1: The difference between qualitative and quantitative methods.

2) Data collection methods
Quantitative and qualitative data can be collected using a variety of methods. It is important to use a data collection
method that will help answer your research question(s).
Many data collection methods can be qualitative or quantitative. For example, in surveys, observations, or case studies,
your data may be expressed as numbers (e.g. using rating scales or counting frequencies) or as words (e.g.: with openended questions or a description of what you observed). However, some methods are more commonly used in one
category or another.
 Quantitative data collection method:

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-

Survey: A list of closed-ended or multiple-choice questions distributed to a sample (online, in person, or by
phone).
- Experiment: A situation in which variables are controlled and manipulated to establish a cause-and-effect
relationship.

- Observation: Observing objects in a natural environment where variables cannot be controlled.
 Qualitative data collection method:
- Interview: Asking open-ended questions orally to the respondent.
- Focus Group: Discussion among a group of people on a topic to gather ideas that can be used for further
research.
- Ethnography: Join a community or organization over a long period to observe culture and behavior closely.
- Document Review: Survey of published works by other authors.

3) When to use qualitative and quantitative research?
A general rule of thumb for deciding whether to use qualitative or quantitative data is:
 Use quantitative research if you want to confirm or test something (a theory or hypothesis)
 Use qualitative research if you want to understand something (concepts, thoughts, experiences)
For most research topics, you can choose a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approach. The type you choose
depends on, among other things, whether you are using an inductive or deductive research method; your research
question(s); whether you are performing experimental, correlational, or descriptive research; and practical considerations
such as time, money, data availability, and respondent accessibility.

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4) How to analyze qualitative and quantitative data
Qualitative or quantitative data by itself cannot prove or prove anything but must be analyzed to show its significance in
the research question. The method of analysis is different for each type of data.
a) Quantitative data analysis
Quantitative data is based on numbers. Simple math or more advanced statistical analysis is used to discover similarities
or patterns in data. The results are usually reported in graphs and tables. Applications like Excel, SPSS, or R can be used to

calculate things like:




b)

Medium score
Number of times a particular answer was given
Correlation or causation between two or more variables
Reliability and validity of the results
Qualitative data analysis

Qualitative data is more difficult to analyze than quantitative data. It includes text, images, or videos instead of numbers.
Some common methods for analyzing qualitative data include:
 Qualitative Content Analysis: Tracks the occurrence, location, and meaning of words or phrases
 Thematic analysis: Closely examine the data to identify key themes and patterns
 Discourse analysis: A study of how communication works in a social context

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II.

What is Cloud computing?

1) Overview
"Cloud computing" refers to servers accessed over the Internet as well as the software and databases that run on those
servers. Cloud servers are located in data centers around the world. By using cloud computing, users and companies do
not have to manage physical servers themselves or run software applications on their machines.

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The cloud allows users to access the same files and applications from virtually any device, as computation and storage
happen on servers in the data center, rather than locally on the user's device. This is why users can log into their
Instagram account on a new phone after their old phone broke and still find their old account, with all photos, videos, and
history of their chat. It works the same way with cloud email providers like Gmail or Microsoft Office 365, and with cloud
storage providers like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Figure 1: Cloud Computing
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For businesses, moving to the cloud eliminates some IT costs and overheads: they no longer need to update and maintain
their servers, for example, because the cloud provider that they are using will do just that. This is particularly impactful for
small businesses that may not be able to afford to purchase their in-house infrastructure but can outsource their
infrastructure needs at an affordable cost through the cloud. cloud. The cloud can also make it easier for companies to

operate internationally because employees and customers can access the same files and applications from any location.
Types of Cloud Computing:
-

-

-

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS contains the basic building blocks for IT in the cloud. It typically provides
access to networking features, computing (virtual or on dedicated hardware), and data storage space. IaaS gives
you the highest level of flexibility and management control over your IT resources. It most closely resembles
existing IT resources that many IT departments and developers are familiar with.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS removes the need to manage your underlying infrastructure (usually hardware
and operating systems) while allowing you to focus on the deployment and management of its applications. This
helps you be more productive because you don't need to worry about resource purchasing, capacity planning,
software maintenance, patching, or any other indiscriminate heavy lifting associated with running your application.
Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS provides you with a complete product operated and managed by a service
provider. In most cases, people refer to SaaS as referring to end-user applications (such as web-based email). With
a SaaS service, you don't have to think about how to maintain the service or how to manage the underlying
infrastructure. You just have to think about how you are going to use that particular software.

2) How does it work?
Cloud computing is made possible by a technology called virtualization. Virtualization allows the creation of a simulated,
digital-only "virtual" computer that behaves as if it were a physical computer with its hardware. The technical term for
such a computer is a virtual machine. When deployed properly, virtual machines on the same host are sandboxed
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together, so they don't interact with each other at all, and files and applications from a virtual machine are not visible to
other machines. virtual machines even though they are on the same physical machine.
Virtual machines also make more efficient use of the hardware that hosts them. By running multiple virtual machines at
the same time, a single server can run multiple virtual "servers", and a data center becomes a series of data centers that
can serve multiple organizations. As a result, cloud providers can offer usage of their servers to more customers at once
than they can afford, and they can do so at a low cost. Even if individual servers go down, cloud servers in general should
stay online and available at all times. Cloud providers often back up their services on multiple machines and across
multiple regions.
Users access cloud services through a browser or application, connecting to the cloud over the Internet — that is, through
multiple interconnected networks — regardless of the device they are using.

3) What benefits does it have?
 Agile
The cloud gives you easy access to a wide range of technologies so you can innovate faster and build nearly
anything you can imagine. You can quickly create resources when you need them—from infrastructure services,
such as computing, storage, and databases, to the Internet of Things, machine learning, data warehousing,
analytics, etc. You can deploy technology services in minutes and go from idea to large order execution faster than
before. This gives you the freedom to experiment and test out new ideas to differentiate your customer experience
and transform your business.
 Elasticity
With cloud computing, you don't need to provision too many resources upfront to handle future peak business
operations. Instead, you provide the amount of resources you need. You can scale these resources up or down to
instantly increase or decrease capacity as your business needs change.
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 Cost saving
The cloud allows you to trade fixed costs (such as data centers and physical servers) for variable costs and pay IT
only as you use it. Plus, the variable costs are much lower than what you would pay to do it yourself because of
economies of scale.
 Deploy globally in minutes.
With the cloud, you can expand to new geographies and deploy globally in minutes. For example, AWS has
infrastructure around the world, so you can deploy your application in multiple physical locations with just a few
clicks. Putting applications closer to end users reduces latency and improves their experience.

4) Why is it called cloud computing?
"Cloud computing" started as a tech industry slang term. In the early days of the Internet, engineering diagrams often
represented the servers and network infrastructure that made up the Internet in the form of a cloud. As more computing
processes move to this server and infrastructure portion of the Internet, people start talking about moving to the "cloud"
as a shorthand expression for where computing processes take place. Today, "cloud computing" is a widely accepted term
for this type of computing.

III.

What impact does cloud computing have on the environment and how?

1) What positive effects does it have?
 Reduce Energy Consumption: The adoption of cloud computing can result in significant energy savings. Typical data
centers require huge amounts of energy to power and cool their servers. By sharing servers through the cloud,
fewer servers are needed to run the same number of applications, which reduces energy consumption. The
following numbers can tell that:

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-

According to a study conducted by research firm Verdantix and funded by AT&T, using cloud computing
technology can reduce energy usage and save energy costs. This study estimates that if 10% of US businesses
switched to using cloud computing for business administration applications, they could save 85.7 million
kWh of electricity per year, equivalent to eliminating remove 80,000 tons of CO2.
- According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Google, cloud computing can help reduce
carbon emissions from industries such as manufacturing, transport, and healthcare. This report says that
cloud computing could help save 1% of total annual carbon emissions globally by 2030, which is equivalent
to removing 200 million cars from the streets.
 Carbon emissions: Cloud computing can help reduce carbon emissions by using more energy efficiently. The
following numbers can tell that:
- According to 451 Research's Asia-Pacific Cloud Opportunities (APAC) report, if organizations move business
applications from on-premises data centers to the cloud, they can reduce energy use and carbon emissions
by up to 78%. Furthermore, if cloud operations in the APAC region are powered by 100% renewable energy,
moving computer applications to the cloud will reduce emissions by up to 93%.
- According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Google, cloud computing can help reduce
carbon emissions from industries such as manufacturing, transport, and healthcare. This report says that
cloud computing could help save 1% of total annual carbon emissions globally by 2030, which is equivalent
to removing 200 million cars from the streets.
- According to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), large businesses in France and the UK could
reduce their CO2 emissions by 9.1 million tons per year by 2020 if they switch to cloud computing. This
report also shows that these businesses can save 1.9 billion euros in energy consumption costs and 2.3
billion euros in operating and maintenance costs.
 Green cloud computing: Green cloud computing is an approach to reduce the negative impact of cloud computing

on the environment.
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 Environmental Benefits of Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is more efficient and flexible than local computing
for individuals and businesses, and provides local redundancy management, making data loss unlikely even in the
event of a natural disaster. A 2013 research paper sponsored by Google revealed that by moving commonly used
software applications to the cloud, energy usage is reduced by 87%.

2) What negative effects does it have?
 E-waste: Frequent hardware upgrades and reliance on non-renewable energy sources contribute to e-waste and
greenhouse gas emissions. According to a 2019 United Nations report, the worldwide volume of e-waste reached
53.6 million tons in 2019, an increase of 21% compared to 2014. Of which, only 17.4% was collected and Recycling.
If this trend continues, the amount of e-waste could reach 74 million tons by 2030. The amount of e-waste not only
pollutes the environment but also wastes precious resources, such as gold and silver. , copper, nickel, and rare
metals. It is estimated that the value of materials in e-waste in 2019 is about 57 billion USD. In addition, the amount
of e-waste also contributes to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. According to a report by the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), greenhouse gas emissions from e-waste have increased from
12 million tons in 2004 to 23 million tons in 2015.
 Challenges in implementing Green Cloud Computing: There are challenges in implementing green cloud
computing, such as the need to further improve efficiency to eliminate the impact of storage. and processing is
expanding. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Google, there are several challenges
in implementing green cloud computing, as follows:
- There is a need to improve the energy efficiency of data centers and terminals to reduce energy consumption
and carbon emissions.
- It is necessary to diversify renewable energy sources to reduce dependence on non-renewable and unstable

energy sources.

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-

Collaboration between cloud service providers, equipment manufacturers, grid managers, and local
governments is required to ensure environmental and energy security.
- Standards and policies need to be developed to encourage the use of green cloud computing and increase
transparency about the energy efficiency and carbon footprint of cloud operations.
 Demand for electricity: The main impact of cloud computing is the huge amount of electricity needed to power
servers and keep them cool. Greenpeace estimates that by 2025, the technology sector can consume 20% of the
world's total electricity; The increase from the current 7% is due to the expansion of cloud computing and the
further development of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, that require a lot of computing power.
According to a 2017 Greenpeace report, the information technology (ICT) industry could consume 20% of all
electricity worldwide by 2025, up from 7% today. The main reason is the expansion of cloud computing and the
development of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, that require a lot of computing power. It is
estimated that every hour of using a cloud service such as Netflix, YouTube, or Facebook can consume from 200 Wh
to 400 Wh of electricity. This means that, if a person watches Netflix for 2 hours a day for a year, the electricity
consumption can be equal to running a mid-sized refrigerator for the same amount of time.
 Environmental footprint of the online world: The environmental footprint of the online world is constantly
expanding as energy consumption increases to meet demand. Many recent reports by companies like Microsoft
have stated that the evolution of cloud storage has minimal impact on energy consumption and further efficiency
improvements will negate the impact of cloud storage. storage and processing are expanding. According to
Microsoft's 2018 report, the environmental footprint of the online world is constantly growing due to the

increasing demand for data and cloud computing. However, the report also says that the evolution of cloud storage
has a small effect on energy consumption and that efficiency improvements will eliminate the effects of cloud
storage and processing expansion. cloud. According to this report, the energy consumption of cloud data centers
accounted for only 1% of total energy consumption worldwide in 2016 and is expected to decrease to 0.9% by

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2025. This shows that cloud service providers have been working to reduce the environmental footprint of cloud
operations by using energy-saving technologies and increasing the use of renewable energy. create

3) Any solution to minimize the negative impact?
 Use flexible and efficient cloud services, like Amazon's Flexible Compute Cloud (EC2), to reduce power consumption
and greenhouse gas emissions.
 Use renewable and green energy sources to power cloud data centers, such as solar, wind, hydro, biomass, etc.
 Use advanced and energy-saving cooling technologies for cloud servers, such as natural air cooling, seawater
cooling, steam cooling, etc.
 Use effective e-waste management and recycling methods, such as collection, sorting, reuse, recycling, and safe
disposal of old or damaged electronic equipment.
 Raise the awareness and responsibility of cloud users and providers about the impact of cloud computing on the
environment and apply environmental protection standards in business operations.

IV.

Opportunities and risks of cloud computing impact on the environment

1) Opportunity
 Cloud computing can reduce energy consumption, waste and carbon emissions by improving the efficiency and
resilience of data storage and processing compared to local computing. For example, a study by Google and
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that moving all US office workers to the cloud could save up to
87% in IT energy usage, equivalent to 23 billion kWh or 1.8 billion USD per year. Another Microsoft study
estimates that cloud computing can reduce carbon emissions by 30–60% for large corporations and up to 90%
for small businesses.

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 Cloud computing can enable faster research, development, and product launches for green technologies and
solutions by providing access to large-scale data and computing resources. For example, Google's DeepMind AI
has helped reduce energy consumption of Google's data centers by 40%, saving hundreds of millions of dollars
and reducing carbon emissions. Another example is Microsoft's AI for Earth program, which provides cloudbased tools and grants to researchers and innovators working on environmental challenges such as
biodiversity. science, agriculture, water and climate change.
 Cloud computing can improve healthcare facilities and telecommuting options by reducing travel and
infrastructure needs, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and consumption. resource consumption. For
example, an Accenture report found that cloud-based telehealth services could reduce travel-related carbon
emissions by 154 million kilograms in the United States alone each year. Another example is Cisco's WebEx
platform, which enables online meetings and collaboration, saving more than 7.7 billion vehicle miles, 3.6
billion kWh of electricity, and 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.
 Cloud computing can enhance transparency and accountability on the environmental impact of different
industries and sectors by facilitating data collection, analysis and reporting. For example, Amazon's Sustainable
Data Initiative provides access to large datasets on climate change, weather, disaster response, air quality, and
ocean health for researchers. research and policy making. Another example is the Google Environmental

Insights Explorer, which provides data and insights on the carbon emissions and renewable energy potential of
cities around the world.

2) Risks and challenges
Some of the challenges and risks of cloud computing to the environment are:
 Cloud computing can increase electricity demand and generate more greenhouse gas emissions and waste if
data centers are powered by fossil fuels or use cooling systems inefficient. According to a Greenpeace report,
the IT sector could consume 20% of the world's total electricity by 2025, with cloud computing the main driver
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of this growth. Furthermore, cloud computing can also generate a lot of e-waste from disposing of old or
obsolete equipment, amounting to 50 million tons in 2018.
Cloud computing can pose security and privacy risks to data stored and processed in the cloud, such as data
theft, leaks, breaches, compromised credentials compromised, API hacked, authentication breach, account
hijacking, etc. These risks can have negative consequences for the environment if the data is related to
environmental monitoring, regulation or protection. For example, hackers can spoof data on air quality, water
quality, or climate change and cause miscommunication or mismanagement of environmental issues.

Cloud computing can create interoperability and portability challenges for data and applications moved to the
cloud, such as compatibility issues, vendor lock-in, data migration costs, etc. These challenges can limit the
flexibility and choice of cloud users and providers, and prevent them from adopting more efficient or
sustainable solutions. For example, if a cloud user wants to switch to another cloud provider that uses more
renewable energy sources, they may have difficulty transferring their data and applications without sacrificing
functionality. or quality.
Cloud computing can create ethical and social dilemmas for data and applications stored and processed in the
cloud, such as data ownership, consent, access, control, accountability, etc. These dilemmas can have an
impact on the environment if the data and applications are concerned with environmental equity, equity or
governance. For example, cloud computing can enable or hinder the participation and empowerment of
marginalized or vulnerable communities in environmental decision-making or action.
Cloud computing can increase the digital divide and inequality between different regions and countries with
different levels of access, affordability, quality and reliability of cloud services. This can have an environmental
impact if cloud services are involved in environmental education, awareness or innovation. For example, cloud
computing can provide or limit opportunities and resources to learn and develop green skills and solutions.

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P2: Examine secondary sources to collect relevant secondary data and
information for the environmental impact of cloud computing.
I. What is a secondary source?
1) Overview
A secondary source is anything that describes, explains, evaluates, or analyzes information from primary sources.
Common examples include:






Books, articles, and documentaries that aggregate information on a topic
Summary and description of works of art
Encyclopedias and textbooks summarizing information and ideas
Reviews and essays that evaluate or explain something

When you cite a secondary source, you usually don't analyze it directly. Instead, you might test its argument against
new evidence or use its ideas to help form your own.

2) Examples of sources that can be primary or secondary
a) Examples of primary and secondary sources
Primary source

Secondary source

Novel

Article analyzing the novel

Painting

Exhibition catalog explaining the painting

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