Public sector computer systems need to becomegreenerand more efficient, the
government has said.
Speaking at the fourth European Ministerial e-Government
Conference in Lisbon this week, Cabinet Office minister Gillian
Merron said the UK Chief Information Officer's Council should
reduce the carbon footprint of government computers and improve the
sustainability of public sector IT.
Merron said, "Figures from industry suggest that worldwide
information technology is responsible for about 1 billion tonnes of
CO2 emissions each year - that is between 2% and 4% of global
energy.
She said, "The government is by far the biggest user of IT in
the UK, spending around £12bn a year. We have a responsibility to
set a positive example on the environment, so I am asking our IT
leaders to work with industry to find new ways to improve the
sustainability of government computer systems."
Merron said, "This does not just mean reducing the amount of
electricity they use, but also looking at how they can be designed
and built in ways that consume fewer materials and which make
recycling easier."
John Suffolk, the Government's chief information officer, said,
"There is real potential to deliver more sustainable IT that also
costs less and provides better results for users. New technologies
can help reduce energy consumption and allow more flexible
working."
The Chief Information Officer's Council will now work with the
Information Age Partnership to
take a systematic look at how government can work with the industry
to put public sector IT on to a more sustainable footing.
The Information Age Partnership brings together leading IT firms
and trade bodies to tackle IT industry issues.
The pair will publish their initial report in 2008.