The carbon footprint of your IT

Public Technology.net

A strategic overview and briefing paper presents the findings of JISC’s Green Technology report, and outlines ways in which the intelligent use of technology can create savings of cost, energy or carbon output, and shows how Liverpool University’s self-developed ‘PC PowerDown’ software is already saving the institution £64,000 a year and over 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The paper also offers guidance for ICT staff and senior managers within FE and HE to make informed decisions concerning the sustainability of their current and projected technology provision.

Commenting on the report Peter James, Professor of Environmental Management at the University of Bradford, and head of the JISC-funded SusteIT project, said,

“The sector must do more to make its ICT use more sustainable, and this report raises awareness of the issues facing ICT planners and senior institutional management. It also highlights a range of cost-effective measures that are already being taken in some institutions that could easily be introduced in others.

“These include switching off PCs, better management of cooling in data centres and the increased use of video-conferencing via the JANET network. The SusteIT project also provides a tool to prepare a footprint of ICT-related energy and carbon consumption – the first step to improvement – and inspiration in the form of over 20 case studies.”

An interesting article highlighting how technology use can contribute to your carbon costs, even small steps like switching off the pcs, being more efficient with your air flow/cooling can reduce the carbon footprint (and thereby) the costs of your IT and your carbon footprint. I wonder if we wont see more of this going forward, if we’re going to see organizations declare their business and IT carbon footprint?

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