Some of the UK’s largest firms are backing Computing’s Green Computing campaign, which launches today.

The initiative is intended to raise awareness of environmental issues within IT departments and, in doing so, reduce business costs and improve efficiency.

With power costs rocketing and supplies proving more unpredictable, IT departments need to look at new ways of working.

At the heart of Green Computing is a charter designed to provide chief information officers (CIOs) and IT managers with a set of environmental goals that can be applied to their business.

The first companies to sign up to the charter are energy giant Centrica and bank Lloyds TSB.

‘At Centrica we recognise the environmental and commercial benefits of taking a proactive approach to reducing our environmental impact,’ Centrica CIO Peter Brickley told Computing.

‘Involving staff and suppliers helps us to meet our environmental goals and I fully support Computing’s Green Charter,’ he said.

Darryl West, director of group IT at Lloyds TSB, said: ‘We all have a duty to use energy wisely and dispose of hardware and consumables properly. It is great for Lloyds TSB staff to be part of this.’

Other organisations including Network Rail, EDF Energy, E.ON, John Lewis Partnership, Scottish Water, the Institute of Directors, the Corporate IT Forum, Intellect, the Liberal Democrats, the DTI and government CIO John Suffolk are backing the campaign.

Suffolk says the IT community must help ensure sustainable development. ‘That means moving to new, more energy-efficient technologies that have the potential to dramatically cut energy costs – as well as other costs – and using information to allow people and businesses to operate in more sustainable ways,’ he said.

Malcolm Wicks, DTI energy minister, said: ‘We welcome this initiative. The government believes all sectors of society must be involved in reducing the amount of energy we waste. Improving the energy efficiency of businesses is vital.’

To sign-up email: greencomputing@computing.co.uk

For more details visit our Green Computing page