Free Green IT handbook

Environmental charity, Global Action Plan, has launched a free Green ICT handbook which it says is packed full of case studies, facts and solutions that can save businesses valuable resources and money. According to the charity, the IT industry is currently responsible for approximately two per cent of global carbon emissions; about the same as the airline industry, hence the importance in acting now to cut these emissions.

“The environmental footprint of computers is something we’ve been slow to realise,” comments Trewin Restorick founder of Global Action Plan. “The production of computers is a toxic process; there is lead in the screen, arsenic in the processor and the equipment will have often been produced in a sweatshop. Most of the energy a desktop PC will use in its entire lifecycle is in manufacture. This all adds up to a serious environmental footprint before you have even switched the computer on for the first time. With the relentless push to upgrade e-waste is the fastest growing source of waste in the developed world.  We are also exporting this toxic waste to the developing world, which they are poorly equipped to deal with.”

The handbook outlines how businesses can make changes to the way they purchase computer equipment which have a significant environmental benefit, they can also make significant reductions in the amount of energy and waste generated after purchasing the IT equipment. Around 40 percent of the energy computers use is from them being left on while unused, some simple steps to reduce energy consumption are to power down when the computer is not in use, remove active screensavers and make sure the energy settings put the pc to sleep when you aren’t using it.

With the introduction of more stringent regulations for big businesses such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) and fluctuating energy prices it has never made more economical sense to be IT savvy. “IT isn’t just the bad guy,” adds Restorick,  “it can also be part of the solution and this is what makes the sector so interesting. Innovative and practical uses of IT could cut the carbon emissions of the current economy by 15 percent.  IT has the ability to make massive changes to the way we do business, for example, teleconferencing, e-media, smart logistics, reducing travel and reducing office size requirements as more people can work from home and making offices run more efficiently.

To receive a copy of the handbook go to http://greenict.org.uk .

www.globalactionplan.org.uk