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Green IT helps govt departments save £1.26m
IT News |
16/07/2012
Government departments have saved £1.26 million during the past year by adopting greener ICT practices, it has been reported.
The Cabinet Office's first annual progress report entitled 'Greening Government: ICT Strategy' reveals some of the successful energy efficiency measures undertaken by 12 departments.
Among the measures taken include revamping Whitehall server rooms with cleaner technologies and using videoconferencing to reduce business travel.
In total, the departments saved around 232,000 tonnes of CO2.
Some 3,500 tonnes was saved by the Ministry of Justice which replaced desktop computers and screens in courts.
And the Department of Communities and Local Government reduced paper usage by half a tonne by replacing 300 traditional printers with 50 multi-functional devices.
The Cabinet Office noted that ICT plays "a fundamental role" in the UK green agenda.
"However, it is not just about delivering energy-efficient ICT, but also about how green ICT is an enabler for greener and more sustainable government business operation," it stated.
"This means exploring the opportunities for smarter working and smarter technologies; moving to online services where possible; exploiting collaborative tools; making better use of mobile technologies and much more."
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, has welcomed the first progress report, outlining its own commitment to enabling the IT industry to become more energy efficient.
David Clarke, chief executive at the institute, said that by taking a considered approach and using technology to effect changes, organisations "can make significant savings, not only on emissions but also to the bottom line".
"However, there is still obviously more that the government and many other organisations can do, in particular in relation to improving energy efficiency in data centres," he stated.
"We have developed many initiatives, working with experts from our membership and organisations across the globe to support IT professionals, as they in turn are looked to by their organisations to implement green IT strategies."
Posted by John Lynes
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