This blog article is written by Niklas Mörth, CISO and Lena Westerholm, VP Sustainability.

The demand for sustainability data on products is growing. We are receiving more and more inquiries from our customers on this topic. It is also an area that is in focus in the EU's regulatory framework with the aim of fulfilling Europe's commitment in the Paris Agreement and the transfer to a circular economy.

Informed decision-making help reduce climate impact

In September 2024, Westermo published its first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for a product, the Viper-112A. An EPD is an independently verified document that provides data on products' environmental impact throughout their life cycle. This enables customers to compare environmental impacts, make sustainable choices, and access data to meet regulatory requirements.

The EPD shows that the climate impact of the Viper-112A, from a lifecycle perspective, comes mainly from electricity consumption during the use phase. By prioritizing low power consumption, robust design, and sustainable materials, we ensure that the solutions we offer are energy efficient, reliable and long-lasting.

With the help of the EPD our customers can make informed decisions that significantly reduce their climate impact, as it is largely influenced by the source of energy in combination with power consumption. But failing to consider sustainability as a system science when deciding on cybersecurity features could result in a considerably higher climate impact than necessary. 

Complex solutions are often power-hungry solutions

As pointed out, energy consumption in the use phase is the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions. This means that when picking a solution for your security posture the choices and decisions you make will impact your carbon footprint.

We can see that many cybersecurity decisions on the market are driven out of fear, not guided by a thorough threat model of the system. This often leads to solutions that are secure, but also too complex for the actual need. And as complexity increases, the solution becomes more power-hungry.

This graph compares Viper-112A emissions with similar competitor products and an industrial PC. While the security solutions they offer are often similar, they will have differences in carbon emissions over a 20-year period.

[1] Average Energy Consumption: Westermo 9.5W, Comparable switch 19W, Industrial PC 90W
[2] Emissions based on RER - Renewable Energy Resources, European Mix

In next graph you can see the difference in climate impact when you add a more complex solution, in this case an Intrusion Detection Solution (IDS), to the comparison. Clearly the IDS can deliver a lot more performance and has capabilities that we do not see in our switches, but with a dramatically higher energy consumption. 

[3] Average Energy Consumption: Westermo 9.5W, Comparable switch 19W, Industrial PC 90W, IDS 6100W

So, the question is; when choosing your security solution, are you making the decision out of fear to feel secure? Or is your decision based on a thorough threat modelling of your needs to be secure?

When you choose a complex solution out of fear, you might end up with a solution that is not only expensive and the wrong fit for your security needs, but you also end up consuming more energy than you need to. 

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face today, and we all have a part to play in reducing our climate impact. By making informed decisions and taking sustainability into account when choosing your security solution, you can reduce your business's climate impact significantly. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, integrating sustainability into your cybersecurity decisions is a necessity. By considering the climate impact of your security solutions, you can make informed decisions that align with, not only your security needs, but also your sustainability goals. 

At Westermo we want to help our customers make informed decisions. The Viper-112A's Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with the sustainability data they need to choose energy-efficient, reliable, and sustainable products for their solutions.