Government IT systems go green

News Article - Thursday, July 17, 2008

filed under: Business

The government will make energy consumption of its information and communication technology (ICT) systems carbon neutral within four years, according to new plans announced this week.

In a bid to slow climate change, the target will be achieved through 18 key steps including auditing data centres and server use to make sure they are running at maximum efficiency.

Currently the ICT sector is responsible for 20 per cent of carbon emissions generated by government offices.

Cabinet office minister Tom Watson says: "It's not just about the government. I hope that the steps we're announcing today - including simple ideas such as making sure everything is turned off when not in use, defaulting to double-sided printing and reusing old equipment for as long as possible - will also be picked up by private companies and individuals."

Companies wishing to follow suit could install carbon accounting software to find out where savings can be made.

Earlier this month world leaders at the G8 summit in Japan agreed targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent before 2050.

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