Government and technology suppliers are to work together to reduce the energy consumption of public sector IT.

Technology is responsible for up to one billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, or two per cent of the global total, every year ­ a similar proportion to that produced by the airline industry.

With a £12bn annual spend, the public sector is the UK’s biggest IT user, and it has a responsibility to set a positive example on environmental issues, Cabinet Office minister Gillian Merron told the European Commission e-government conference in Lisbon last week.

“I am asking our IT leaders to find new ways to improve the sustainability of government computer systems,” she said.

“This does not just mean reducing the amount of electricity they use, but also how they can be designed and built to consume fewer materials and make recycling easier.”

The Cabinet Office eGovernment Unit, run by Whitehall chief information officer John Suffolk, will work with supplier group the Information Age Partnership. The first report will be published next year.

Alongside the development of more efficient systems, it is likely to look at reducing hardware use by introducing more flexible working practices.

The project will help set an example, said Greenpeace policy adviser Charlie Kronick.
But he said the government is in danger of addressing the symptoms rather than the cause.

“What it should do is transform the electricity sector that powers the technology,” he said.

Legislation is the only way to make the necessary changes, according to Friends of the Earth.

“We welcome this project. But the most powerful way to tackle climate change is by passing a law that ensures the UK reduces emissions,” said a spokeswoman.