Green IT

GREEN IT ENERGY USE CUSTOMERS The IT industry is the fastest growing in terms of energy use. IČT accounts CARBON FOOTPRINT Customers prefer green companies and sustainable practices. Major corporations áre investing in green progrāmmes. for 5-6% of emissions in developed countries. The IT sector's carbon footprint was higher than that of the airline industry in 2012. THE LAW The UK is committed to reducing its carbon footprint under The Climate Change Act of 2008 MONEY Why go green? Green IT lowers costs as it helps to streamline your business. 30-60% of energy used in server rooms is wasted. TECHNOLOGY As technology grows it's becoming easier to go green. New technologies could reduce power consumption at data centre by up to 80%. The CRC Scheme: Legal Obligations for Businesses Large private and public sector organisations produce 10% of greenhouse emissions in the UK. Companies that use over 6.000 MWh of The electricity must participate in the scheme Participants must buy allowances for every tonne of carbon they emit. government's objective is to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. Top Tips for Going Green KEEP EQUIPMENT LONGER In most cases it will prove cheaper to add memory and a faster processor to an old computer. If you have to dispose of an old computer, don't add it to' the overflowing landfills. Some companies such as Dell offer ethical recycling programmes for computers. GET A GREEN TEAM Appoint a committee using people from all departments of your company, the main objective of which is to come up with green initiatives. This is a goód way to share responsibility across the whole company, stimulate new ideas and give employees a sense of ownership in the policies you implement. GO PAPERLESS Many materials can be delivered electronically such as reports, marketing materials and invoices. Encourage staff and customers not to print the emails sent to them. Limit the number of printers available to employees and make sure they are configured to print more per page. Valu BUY GREEN PRODUCTS Use reviews and power consumption ratings to choose the right product. It's also a good idea to use integrated or multi- purpose devices in order to reduce the amount of devices you need. Did you know that switching from a regular computer and CRT monitor to a laptop could mean energy savings of 50-80%? MEASURE USAGE Work out how many devices your company owns and how much energy each of these devices uses. Consider having an energy audit or meter put in place. This way you can see exactly where savings can bé made. Sources: Sponsored by www.greenit.net www.theccc.org.uk www.gov.uk www.smallbusinesscomputing.com SYSOP www.sysop.co.uk