In the above video, Roger Whittle - the CEO of the UK's largest Apple reseller, Jigsaw24 - gives his views on why sustainability will be a key theme for the channel this year and beyond, and how the channel can play a role in "war" against Co2 emmissions.
His comments came as CRN launched its Tech Impact campaign and awards (see bottom for more).
"We are facing a man-made disaster of a global scale - a threat to our very lives. And if we do not reduce the carbon emissions by 2030, we are looking at irreversible and catastrophic damage to our lives which will result in many millions of deaths and quite possibly a threat to human civilisation," Whittle said.
Whittle said there are "four or five" things people need to do together, including using less, sharing more, sourcing locally and recycling.
This also includes embracing new sustainable technology, "which is where the channel comes in", Whittle added.
Resellers will have a "huge opportunity" in providing new technology such as intelligent, cloud-based, AI-based, software-driven stationary storage, he predicted.
"What's going to happen in the next few years is that solar power is going to be mandated nearly everywhere, but the problem with solar of course is that the sun doesn't shine at the right time.
"I think intelligent stationary storage is a huge opportunity for the IT channel, and that's just one example of where I think the IT channel can play a huge role in helping drive the new sustainable technology solutions which will enable us to beat greenhouse gases and win the aforementioned war that we all need to win.
"So there's a huge opportunity out there. And as David Attenborough says there can be a positive conclusion to this. We can be optimistic and we can win. And I think we will win - possibly in no short measure due to technology."
