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Government makes green savings

The government claims it has saved at least £7m in the past year by making its IT systems greener and has urged businesses to follow in their footprints.

By extending the life of PCs, making double-sided printing the default option and turning computers off at night, the government has managed to cut the carbon footprint of central computers by 12,000 tonnes, the same as taking 5,000 cars off the road.

Cabinet Office Minister, Angela Smith, said: “Information technology is one of the hidden causes of climate change worldwide.

“Computers are responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as the airline industry, but few people are taking action to improve.”

According to Mrs Smith, a year ago the government became the first in the world to set targets to tackle the environmental and financial costs of computer use. In 12 months they’ve now reportedly saved enough carbon dioxide to fill 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

She added: “All departments have risen to the challenge of cutting their IT carbon footprints. But it’s not just about the government. I hope that private companies and individuals recognise the savings that can be made.”

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is responsible for up to 20% of carbon emissions generated by government offices. Each year it generates 460,000 tones, the same amount as a jumbo jet flying around the world a thousand times.

Will Day, Chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), said: “Greening the government’s ICT is an urgent priority. We look forward to seeing levels of their ambitions raised further and the government working with departments and industry to explore and invest in far reaching green solutions.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .