An approach to sustainability for information systems

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a set of guiding sustainability principles for the information systems function in organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use principles taken from sustainability approaches to define a set of principles and a sustainability maturity model. Findings – The principles include awareness, alternatives to economic perspectives, systems approaches, minimise wastage, consider the future, avoid fads, link sustainability to IT governance frameworks. Research limitations/implications – The paper calls for a new line of research investigating the contribution that IS can make to the sustainability issue. Practical implications – The principles and maturity model can be used by practitioners to embed sustainability processes into their organisations. Originality/value – The issue of sustainability and IS is still in its infancy as a research topic. The authors define a basic set of sustainability principles and raise a number of governance issues related to sustainability.