Initiative promotes environmentally-friendly IT

BUSINESSES LOOKING to reduce the environmental impact of their IT infrastructure can now find professional advice and help from a new forum called the Green Technology Initiative.

Launched in London at Internet World 2007, the initiative seeks to provide professional expertise to IT managers and directors about how to reduce their corporate carbon footprint.

Research by Gartner estimates the IT industry has a carbon footprint as big as the airline industry, and accounts for a whopping two per cent of all global carbon emissions.

By focusing on the environmental impact of powering, cooling and operating IT systems, the Green Technology Initiative will demonstrate how companies can change working practices, improve system efficiency and use their existing infrastructure to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions.

"This is not about offsetting or costly restructuring: it is about tackling the core problem and successfully reducing energy consumption in IT," said Dan Sutherland, founder and acting chairman of the Green Technology Initiative.

The initiative will work on a principle of 'green by design' with the aim of educating businesses about IT efficiency and infrastructure design in order to build "IT that's smart for the planet", Sutherland said.

The scheme, which is currently seeking members from within the IT and energy sectors, was founded by a consortium which includes names such as Carrenza, Cisco, EDF Energy, Global Crossing and Saatchi & Saatchi Interactive.

Gartner's research into the IT industry's carbon footprint looks at the use of PCs, servers, cooling, fixed and mobile telephony, local area network (LAN), office telecommunications and printers. µ