SAP to name a 'chief sustainability officer' for green computing

Like more and more companies these days, SAP now claims to be moving in a more "sustainable" direction, although interpretations of that term can vary a lot.

A little more specifically, in SAP's case, the "sustainability" initiative unveiled today includes plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to year-2000 levels, as well as to form a new cross-functional "sustainability organization" to lead efforts going forward.

The sustainability organization won't be headed up by a chief executive officer (CEO), or a chief information officer (CIO), but instead by SAP's first "chief sustainability officer."

SAP will also "demonstrate its commitment to sustainability internally," the German-based business software giant said in a statement. By making its commitment to sustainability, SAP will "help businesses address social, environmental, and government challenges on a global scale," according to Leo Apotheker, SAP's co-CEO.