Last week, Talenza participated in an insightful panel discussion titled "Green Educating, Recruiting and Transforming Tomorrow" as part of Climate Action Week 2025 in Sydney. Hosted at the University of Technology Sydney, this valuable event brought together industry leaders to explore the environmental impact of technology and discuss sustainable solutions for the future.

The panel featured Fershad Irani, Studio Developer at the Green Web Foundation; Cindy Chung, Chair of the NSW Branch Executive Committee at the Australian Computer Society; and our own Dan Cobelli, Co-founder and COO of Talenza. The discussion was moderated by Josh Hill, founding partner at North Star Partner, a technology executive search and recruitment agency.

As a leading recruitment agency in the transformation space, Talenza is witnessing firsthand the rapid emergence of green IT as a critical focus area for Australian businesses. This isn't just another tech trend – it's a fundamental shift in how organisations approach their digital operations. With new regulations requiring companies to report on sustainability metrics (currently affecting those with $500M+ revenue but soon expanding to those with just $50M), sustainable IT practices are quickly moving from 'nice-to-have' to 'business-critical'.

For us, staying ahead of this curve means we can connect forward-thinking candidates with organisations that share their values, creating powerful alignment that drives both business results and environmental impact. The talent landscape is evolving – with 33% of professionals leaving roles due to purpose misalignment – and our deep understanding of this intersection positions us uniquely to guide both candidates and clients through what will undoubtedly become one of the defining business transformations of this decade.

The Digital Carbon Footprint: A Significant Concern

The discussion began with some sobering statistics about technology's environmental impact. As Josh Hill noted in his introduction, "The IT sector is responsible for nearly 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, placing it on par with the aviation industry." What's more concerning is that this figure doesn't even account for the additional impact of AI technologies, which are expanding rapidly.

Energy consumption for devices, data centres, and ICT accounts for between 6-12% of global energy use – truly staggering numbers that highlight why the panel's title, "IT is the new plastic," is particularly apt. Like plastic, technology has become essential to modern life, yet its environmental consequences are increasingly concerning.

Skills-Based Hiring and the Purpose-Driven Generation

Dan Cobelli shared valuable insights about emerging recruitment trends: "One of the big shifts we're seeing is a more skills-based approach to hiring. That's typically changed a little bit in terms of the traditional focus on degrees of formal education." Source LinkedIn.

This trend is particularly relevant as technology evolves faster than formal education curricula can adapt, especially in areas like cloud technologies, AI, and cybersecurity.

Perhaps most striking was Dan's revelation about what candidates are seeking in their careers: "30% of respondents came back to say that purpose was really important to them, and 33% of respondents came back to say they left their last job because of a misalignment of purpose."

This presents a significant opportunity for organisations to integrate sustainability into their employee value proposition. "Gen Z are really looking at how they can be a part of that and how they can impact and work for purpose," Dan explained. "I think it's an EVP selling point and organisations should definitely be dialling into it."

Sustainability By IT vs. Sustainability Of IT

Fershad Irani offered a crucial distinction that helps both job seekers and employers understand the landscape better: the difference between sustainability achieved through IT and the sustainability of IT itself.

"Sustainability through IT means that you're often achieving sustainability goals using technology," Fershad explained. "That normally lends itself to creating products. You're helping others most of the time."

By contrast, "sustainability of IT is helping reduce that 4% [of global emissions], getting that 4% down to something more sensible. It would be working in a data centre to reduce the energy used or the water consumed, or helping to construct more efficient data centres."

Understanding this distinction can help professionals identify what kind of roles they might be interested in and help companies better structure their sustainability initiatives.

Finding Your Community and Following Your Curiosity

When asked about how individuals can start making a transition into green IT, Fershad offered three actionable pieces of advice.

"Find a community," he emphasised. "I'm a part of a community online called Climate Action Tech, which is a wonderful place even if you're just a lurker and you just want to see what other people are doing."

His second recommendation was to share your journey: "Share what you're learning, share the experiences that you're having, share things that you're thinking about."

Finally, Fershad encouraged curiosity: "Follow the thread, see where it takes you, see what connections you can make, see what new things you can find, new ideas... It's an emerging area of focus. So you will find a niche for yourself."

The State of Green IT in Australia

Cindy Chan provided context on Australia's position in the global landscape of sustainable technology. "I think we are behind," she noted. "I think even in terms of the mindset, I'm not seeing people going into interviews asking when they've got the opportunity to ask questions... to the employer, what is your value when it comes to sustainability? What have you got in place for climate action when it comes to tech?"

She also highlighted that while the Australian government has set a net zero target by 2050, and there has been some progress through technological innovations, much more collaboration between government, industry, and individuals is needed.

The Business Case for Sustainable IT

One of the most compelling aspects of the discussion was how green IT practices align with business objectives.

"Green IT is efficient, which is cost effective," Dan explained. "If you can show business benefit through being able to achieve purpose but also being able to save on the bottom line, then you're going to become your CFO's best friend."

Fershad reinforced this point: "There is a growing understanding that FinOps is GreenOps. So if you're doing stuff from a sustainability perspective, you are going to be doing stuff that benefits your company's bottom line because just the electricity is cheaper a lot of the time."

Looking to the Future

When asked what success would look like five years from now, the panelists offered inspiring visions.

Dan hoped for widespread adoption beyond regulatory requirements: "Success for me will be that everybody's taking action not just because they have to, but because they want to and because they want to do better for the planet."

Cindy envisioned a shift in consumer behaviour: "My crystal ball would be that everyone in our society does not get swayed by marketing... instead the marketing machine listens to us so that we don't always pursue the newest, the latest."

Fershad summed it up with the concept of "sustainability by default" – where sustainability is built into products and services from the beginning, rather than added as an afterthought.

What This Means for Talenza and Our Clients

As a recruitment agency specialising in technology talent, the insights from this panel reinforce the importance of understanding both technical skills and purpose-driven motivations of candidates. The growing importance of sustainability in IT creates opportunities for forward-thinking professionals who want to combine technical expertise with environmental impact.

Dan's advice to "just start somewhere" applies equally to organisations and individuals. Whether you're a company looking to implement more sustainable IT practices or a professional wanting to pivot your career toward green technology, the key is to begin the journey, connect with like-minded communities, and share your experiences.

At Talenza, we're committed to helping both candidates and clients navigate this evolving landscape, recognising that sustainable IT isn't just good for the planet – it's increasingly essential for business success and talent attraction in our changing world.

If you would like to keep the conversation going, please reach out to Talenza’s Co-Founder and COO dan@talenza.com.au.