Government chief information officers (CIOs) must take a leadership position on green IT as the issue becomes increasingly politically sensitive, according to analyst Gartner.

The firm has predicted today that by 2010, environment-related issues will be among the top five IT management concerns for more than 50 per cent of state and local government organisations in North America, Europe and Australia.

Immediate action is necessary at every level in the IT organisation, said Andrea Di Maio, vice-president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.

"Government CIOs must consider different areas of potential impact on IT spending and assess their readiness, in terms of the ability to communicate internally and externally what is being done and why," he said.

"Furthermore, government chief technology officers (CTOs) and operations managers must start looking at how green IT requirements can affect infrastructure and architectures."

According to Garter, business-unit managers as well as portfolio managers must also prepare to articulate and prioritise the environmental value of IT.

Technology is in the midst of the current debate on climate change, both as a culprit and a possible saviour, said Gartner.

"Governments will need to deal with both aspects at the same time as green IT leads to new IT investments as well as changes in the way that IT spending is assessed and managed," said Di Maio.

Although IT contributes to energy consumption and pollution, it also offers ways to reduce environmental impact.

As the pressure mounts on policy makers to take positions and positive actions towards relieving environmental concerns, government IT organisations that report to them will need to support those actions, and, as a consequence, lead by example, said Di Maio

"Many would think that green IT is a private sector issue but we firmly belie ve that government will feel a greater impact," he said.