Friday 30 Nov 2007 @ 09:48
SOCITM (Society of Information Technology Management)
SOCITM (Society of Information Technology Management)
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ICT has poor ‘green’ credentials but much future potential to reduce environmental impact through best practice highlighted in new report from Socitm Insight
ICT currently accounts for 2% of global CO2 emissions: as much as the airline industry
areas for action include equipment life-cycle management, reduction of waste from desktops and data centres, and best practice in flexible working
Case studies featured illustrate potential for organisations to adopt green IT practices
Contrary to popular belief, ICT has poor ‘green’ credentials, currently accounting for some 2% of global CO2 emissions – the same amount as that of the airline industry. However, ICT also has significant potential to reduce its own environmental impact from equipment manufacture, use of electricity and so on, as well as helping organisations become greener though adoption of practices like flexible working and increased efficiencies in business processes.
These issues are set out in Green ICT?: current research into the environmental impact of ICT, a new report from Socitm Insight which also provides a practical guide for IT managers who want to move towards greener practices within their own department as well as using ICT to reduce the organisation’s overall environmental impact. The report provides:
an introduction to how ICT impacts upon the environment (in all stages of the equipment lifecycle)
information about how to measure environmental impact, and ideas for its mitigation
case studies of organisations that have used ICT to reduce the environmental impact of the organisation
Much of the report content is based research published in the last twelve months – with the caveat that accepted views change rapidly in this fast-moving area. The authors have drawn heavily on the work of US and EU administrators working to define standards in areas such as carbon counting, energy efficiency and disposal regimes, as well as UK-based groups like the British Computer Society’s Data Centre Specialist Group.
The report covers new legislative drivers and forthcoming audit requirements that will require IT managers to take the green agenda seriously, developing their understanding of environmental issues generally as well as those specific to the sector like ‘how much electricity does our ICT consume?’ ‘Do nothing’ is therefore not an option says the report: climate change and the increasing global scarcity of fossil fuels means rising electricity costs and ever more sophisticated initiatives to measure and reduce carbon emissions.
In terms of practical advice for the ICT manager, the report shows how the environmental impact of ICT can be properly measured, and how to make business cases for new developments that take into account environmental impact. It explains the environmental impact of the life-cycle for ICT equipment (ie manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal) and how these need to be managed. It highlights the fact that despite awareness of power waste at the desktop, the lifetime energy costs of powering and cooling servers are still overlooked by many ICT professionals, even though they are now as significant as purchase costs.
In addition to putting the ICT function in order, the report shows how carefully planned use of ICT is a major factor in any green change programme designed to reduce an organisation’s office estate and travel costs. However, it warns that realistic and accurate environmental accounting for new projects is essential.
This practical advice is supplemented with a series of case studies from eight organisations that have taken steps in this direction through a range of initiatives including:
Avon & Somerset Police: video-conferencing
Brighton & Hove Council: reduction in use of paper
BT: flexible and home working
Chesterfield Borough Council: a technical and people-related campaign to save emissions.
Hampshire County Council: use of thin client terminals
London Borough of Hillingdon: virtualisation of its server farm to reduce power consumption.
London Borough of Lewisham: use of PDA technology to reduce travel by peripatetic teams
Staffordshire County Council: extension of ICT equipment working life and re-use or recycling of old equipment
Finally, the report provides a list of actions that ICT managers can take now based on the research presented in the report, while warning that pre-conceived ideas about what is environmentally sound may lead ICT managers down the wrong path.
Writing in the foreword to the report, ‘green politician’ Dr Caroline Lucas, MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Trade and Environment Committees urges every ICT manager to ‘use this report and your own knowledge and purchasing power to create ICT systems that are effective and efficient — both in terms of money and, most importantly, the environment.
Green ICT?: current research into the environmental impact of ICT runs to 72 pages and is available in print and pdf format. The report is free to all organisations that subscribe to Socitm Insight. The charge per copy to non-subscribers is £195 (£175 to Socitm members). It can be ordered from www.socitm.gov.uk.
Further information:
Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates Tel: 0121 214 1531
Socitm Press Office vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk
peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk
Martin Greenwood Tel: 01926 498703
Socitm Insight Programme Manager martin.greenwood@socitm.gov.uk
areas for action include equipment life-cycle management, reduction of waste from desktops and data centres, and best practice in flexible working
Case studies featured illustrate potential for organisations to adopt green IT practices
Contrary to popular belief, ICT has poor ‘green’ credentials, currently accounting for some 2% of global CO2 emissions – the same amount as that of the airline industry. However, ICT also has significant potential to reduce its own environmental impact from equipment manufacture, use of electricity and so on, as well as helping organisations become greener though adoption of practices like flexible working and increased efficiencies in business processes.
These issues are set out in Green ICT?: current research into the environmental impact of ICT, a new report from Socitm Insight which also provides a practical guide for IT managers who want to move towards greener practices within their own department as well as using ICT to reduce the organisation’s overall environmental impact. The report provides:
an introduction to how ICT impacts upon the environment (in all stages of the equipment lifecycle)
information about how to measure environmental impact, and ideas for its mitigation
case studies of organisations that have used ICT to reduce the environmental impact of the organisation
Much of the report content is based research published in the last twelve months – with the caveat that accepted views change rapidly in this fast-moving area. The authors have drawn heavily on the work of US and EU administrators working to define standards in areas such as carbon counting, energy efficiency and disposal regimes, as well as UK-based groups like the British Computer Society’s Data Centre Specialist Group.
The report covers new legislative drivers and forthcoming audit requirements that will require IT managers to take the green agenda seriously, developing their understanding of environmental issues generally as well as those specific to the sector like ‘how much electricity does our ICT consume?’ ‘Do nothing’ is therefore not an option says the report: climate change and the increasing global scarcity of fossil fuels means rising electricity costs and ever more sophisticated initiatives to measure and reduce carbon emissions.
In terms of practical advice for the ICT manager, the report shows how the environmental impact of ICT can be properly measured, and how to make business cases for new developments that take into account environmental impact. It explains the environmental impact of the life-cycle for ICT equipment (ie manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal) and how these need to be managed. It highlights the fact that despite awareness of power waste at the desktop, the lifetime energy costs of powering and cooling servers are still overlooked by many ICT professionals, even though they are now as significant as purchase costs.
In addition to putting the ICT function in order, the report shows how carefully planned use of ICT is a major factor in any green change programme designed to reduce an organisation’s office estate and travel costs. However, it warns that realistic and accurate environmental accounting for new projects is essential.
This practical advice is supplemented with a series of case studies from eight organisations that have taken steps in this direction through a range of initiatives including:
Avon & Somerset Police: video-conferencing
Brighton & Hove Council: reduction in use of paper
BT: flexible and home working
Chesterfield Borough Council: a technical and people-related campaign to save emissions.
Hampshire County Council: use of thin client terminals
London Borough of Hillingdon: virtualisation of its server farm to reduce power consumption.
London Borough of Lewisham: use of PDA technology to reduce travel by peripatetic teams
Staffordshire County Council: extension of ICT equipment working life and re-use or recycling of old equipment
Finally, the report provides a list of actions that ICT managers can take now based on the research presented in the report, while warning that pre-conceived ideas about what is environmentally sound may lead ICT managers down the wrong path.
Writing in the foreword to the report, ‘green politician’ Dr Caroline Lucas, MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Trade and Environment Committees urges every ICT manager to ‘use this report and your own knowledge and purchasing power to create ICT systems that are effective and efficient — both in terms of money and, most importantly, the environment.
Green ICT?: current research into the environmental impact of ICT runs to 72 pages and is available in print and pdf format. The report is free to all organisations that subscribe to Socitm Insight. The charge per copy to non-subscribers is £195 (£175 to Socitm members). It can be ordered from www.socitm.gov.uk.
Further information:
Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates Tel: 0121 214 1531
Socitm Press Office vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk
peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk
Martin Greenwood Tel: 01926 498703
Socitm Insight Programme Manager martin.greenwood@socitm.gov.uk
