Tech Confex 2025: Lessons in sustainability – ‘Where there’s green, there’s gold’

Adopting more sustainable thinking in IT strategy is good for business and the planet, leaders from the hospitality industry were told last week at The Caterer’s Tech Confex 2025, sponsored by Ruckus Networks, in central London.

And as imminent environmental legislation and reporting requirements hit the sector, it is becoming mandatory for organisations to up their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. The hoteliers and their tech leadership teams were advised to embed sustainability strategy into overall business planning and not treat it like a siloed part of what they do.

“If you blindly pursue investment in tech to drive sales, you’re off the mark,” ex-John Lewis, House of Fraser and Sainsbury’s tech leader Julian Burnett said during a panel debate. “You make money by being productive, efficient – and, now, conscious.”

He emphasised the commercial potential of businesses building more transparency into supply chains, measuring the impact of operations and then creating relevant efficiencies based on the information at hand, and added: “Where there’s green, there’s gold.

“There’s a sweet spot between efficiency and responsible business. If you can find that by understanding the priority activities you’re undertaking, and from targeting technology to drive efficiency and productivity, from that will flow a level of environmental performance improvement.”

Creating a trail of responsibility

The retail chief technology officer turned consultant and investor was on a panel alongside Andrew Xeni, founder and chairman of fashion retailer Nobody’s Child, and Jen Hiley, managing partner for climate tech at IT decarbonisation company GoCodeGreen.

Xeni said Nobody’s Child, which sold a 27% stake to Marks & Spencer in 2021 and has just been included in The Sunday Times list of fastest-growing UK privately owned businesses, has profited from developing an ethical culture from day one, led and fostered by the executive team.