GREEN ICT

Introduction

Since, our climate is changing because we are continuously dumping Carbondioxide into our atmosphere. This activity of polluting our environment must be suspended before it is too late and to save future of our generations.

Alone Australia is responsible to generate 1.52% of national carbon dioxide emissions through Business activates in 2005. We can leverage it through technological solutions, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions (domestic and commercial).

An ethical approach should be followed, and we must consider green technology to reduce the impact of carbon emissions from ICT industry. Therefore, Businesses and Australian ICT professionals must be included in this activity.

It is a global issue and government targets to involve us all to reduce carbon emissions and for saving energy. ICT is an apparent target with its unlimited growth and optimum turnover of technology. Experts consider it as the best solution for green services and to execute green policy across the country.

The Green Approach

Independent, public and private sector organizations must have to adapt green initiatives that work. Awareness programs must be initiated among the organizations in which examples may be shared and checklists of best practice would help organizations to improve as participants try to comply and then innovate in result of inspection, benchmarking and green auditing. Organizations should also develop a green procurement policy, for example, they can adopt an Environmental Purchasing Policy to encourage their suppliers to supply environmental friendly inventory and processes. Also, they may include environmental criteria to select their suppliers and before awarding their contracts. The government may introduce a quality mark to help ICT buyers choose those suppliers with genuine schemes to offset carbon. They may introduce Procurement action plan through investment from the Public Sector to transform the supply chain which cater large-scale demand generated by low carbon products like computers. Because, it is equipment which needed to be replaced frequently, and its manufacturer may generate up to four times carbon than its lifetime use. Safe policy is to avoid purchase / replacement of new computers without specific need.

Greener IT Operations

If any firm willing to reduce carbon emissions, then it should minimize its work related journeys. A strategic approach, to reduce commuting will help to achieve improvements in productivity and significant savings. It can be achieved through applying power saving options (both human and electronic). Collaborative and less carbon intensive ways of productivity can be facilitated by ICT, but if remote, mobile, home and flexible working are to be executed effectively, which also involves cultural change.

Strategically they must consider an approach for information management and security, without which any shift to mobile, home and flexible working could create more issues than it resolves. Its benefits could be enormous if implemented correctly. It includes a significant increase in retention rate, staff productivity, rapid payback on investment and well being. Those organizations, which introduce mobile working, also enjoy similar gains. For example, they can reduce the number of journeys their staffs make to their offices if their team may be ...