Green message being lost in recession

Green IT is already suffering as a consequence of the recession as the focus on the bottom line knocks sideways much of the blue sky thinking about saving the planet.

The latest research to highlight the consequences of taking the foot off the environmental pedal comes from Access Accounting, which puts down the widespread failure to lower carbon emissions to the recession.

More than half of the companies it surveyed revealed they did not know if they were monitoring carbon and 49% revealed that there is no individual tasked with hitting specific targets.

The accountancy software vendor introduced a carbon measuring feature to its applications last year aimed at making it easier for companies to monitor their green obligations.

Alistair O'Reilly, Group Managing Director, Access Technology Group, parent company of Access Accounting said, that there was still an opportunity to sell the green message.

"The top three rated priorities; surviving, reducing costs and becoming greener, can all be linked. Businesses could look at company wide initiatives to cut its use of fossil fuels and reduce power consumption," he said.

Already there have been some warnings that the green movement could lose momentum in the channel with Steve Brazier, president and CEO of Canalys, telling MicroScope at the start of the year that companies would be unwilling to fund schemes that did not save money.