The British Computer Society has created a specialist
knowledge community to tackle the issue ofgreen computing.
The community, which draws on the experience of individuals
working in various sectors, aims to develop and promote best
practice that helps both businesses and home users reduce their
IT-related carbon emissions.
David Evans, consumer marketing executive at the BCS, said, "It
does not matter if you are a massive enterprise, a small to
medium-sized company, or use a PC at home, the green agenda and how
you can make a positive contribution is both daunting and complex.
It is important that everyone has access to some steps they can
take to manage their IT carbon emissions, regardless of their
environment."
Analyst firm Gartner estimates that IT accounts for 2% of global
carbon emissions, which is almost the same proportion generated by
the aviation industry. The two main generators of carbon emissions
within IT are PCs/monitors (about 33%) and datacentres (about
25%).
The role technology has to play in reducing carbon emissions is
twofold. First, there is the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions
by using energy-efficient hardware. Google is setting an example
here with servers and cooling systems designed to decrease the
environmental footprint of its datacentres.
Second, firms can use software to measure and manage their power
consumption. Many supply chain companies have integrated software
that provides the visibility necessary to reduce emissions.
BCS awards: the best use of green
technology
The BCS will be recognising early adopters of green IT policies
at the 2007 BCS Awards. The Best Use of Green Technology award will
be presented to an organisation that has run a project that
benefits the environment.
Projects shortlisted for the award include the implementation of
hardware to reduce power consumption through centralised storage
systems, using software to reduce car journeys by co-ordinating car
sharing, and an application to eliminate unnecessary service
calls.
The finalists for the award are:
●
IBM
● Scottish Water
● BT Operate
● Asite Solutions
●
University of Edinburgh
● Destiny Wireless
● The Environment Agency
●
Orange
● Newcastle City Council