Cigref has published its new report, “Sustainable Digital Strategies of Large Organisations: How to Scale Up?”, which highlights how large French companies and government agencies are integrating Responsible Digital Technology (RDT) into their strategies.
It examines the challenges of scaling Responsible Digital practices across the entire organisation and shares best practices in terms of governance, acculturation, involvement, and commitment of all departments, from management to employees, as well as the entire value chain.
Ce rapport est disponible en français.
Responsible Digital Technology: a key component of CSR
The report highlights that Responsible Digital Technology is increasingly seen as an essential component of corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development policies in large organisations.
However, maturity levels vary greatly depending on:
- the sector of activity,
- the corporate culture,
- the involvement of management.
Contrasting levels of maturity
Cigref identifies several stages of maturity in NR strategies:
- A managed level affirming clear governance, KPI monitoring, and the involvement of the executive committee.
- An initial level reflecting initial, often isolated, one-off actions.
- A localised level reflecting structured initiatives, but limited to certain teams.
Obstacles encountered by organisations
Despite progress, several obstacles are slowing down the implementation of a large-scale NR strategy:
The main obstacles :
- The lack of transparency from cloud service providers.
- The lack of reliable measurement standards,
- The complexity of life cycle analyses,
- The lack of dedicated budgets,
- Resistance to acculturation,
- Difficulties in operational deployment,
- The lack of transparency from cloud service providers.
Levers for successful scaling
The report highlights concrete levers for overcoming these obstacles:
Governance and management
- Convince top management with a solid argument,
- Define clear governance,
- Implement management by indicators.
- Promote NR labeling as a tool for acceleration.
Acculturation and commitment
- Raise awareness and train employees.
- Mobilise and support the most impactful business lines.
- Develop a common culture around NR.
Optimisation and value chain
- Optimise the lifecycle of hardware and software.
- Take into account the NR maturity of suppliers and partners.
Generative AI: a new complexity
The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence accentuates the problem: while it offers unprecedented opportunities, it also significantly increases energy consumption and resource use. Organisations must therefore reconcile innovation with digital frugality.
The importance of the collective
The momentum of the Cigref Responsible Digital working group proves that employees are ready to take action. Their collective commitment shows that solutions exist to reduce the environmental and societal impact of digital technology, despite an uncertain geopolitical context.
Conclusion : a call to action
This report is a tool to help organisations take the next step. It highlights the fact that:
- responsible digital technology is not just a technical issue,
- it represents a strategic and cultural approach,
- it requires the involvement of everyone, from the executive committee to employees.
By sharing their best practices, large French organisations can pave the way for a more sober, responsible, and sustainable digital world.
Our thanks go to Christophe Boulaire, Global CIO at Sagemcom, Christophe Boutonnet, Director of Digital Technology at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry, and Stéphanie Mathiote-Babin, Director of Internal Consulting at Groupement Les Mousquetaires and then Director of the CIO Office at STEF IT, who led these working groups between 2023 and 2025, as well as to all those who participated in and contributed to this Cigref working group.
