This report from the Society of IT Management describes ICT as having poor ‘green’ credentials. It currently accounts for some 2% of global CO2 emissions, which is the same amount as that of the airline industry. However, ICT also has significant potential to reduce its own environmental impact from equipment manufacture and use of electricity, as well as helping organisations become greener through adoption of practices like flexible working and increased efficiencies in business processes.

This report provides a practical guide for IT managers who want to move towards greener practices within their own department as well as using ICT to reduce the organisation’s overall environmental impact.

In terms of practical advice for the ICT manager, the report shows how the environmental impact of ICT can be properly measured, and how to make business cases for new developments that take into account environmental impact. It explains the environmental impact of the life-cycle for ICT equipment, ie manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal, and how these need to be managed. It highlights the fact that despite awareness of power waste at the desktop, the lifetime energy costs of powering and cooling
servers are still overlooked by many ICT professionals, even though they are now as significant as purchase costs.

The report costs 195 pounds and is available from SOCTIM. www.socitm.gov.uk.