The Environment Agency has signed a seven year otusourcing contract with supplier Capgemini which it claims will cut 50 per cent of its carbon emissions from IT.

The Agency says the deal is the most environmental IT contract ever signed by a public sector body and will also result in significant costs savings.

"This contract not only aims to exceed the Government’s sustainable IT targets, it also sets a high standard for environmental performance which we hope that other public sector organisations and businesses would wish to reflect," said Graham Ledward, director of resources at the Environment Agency.

The agreement includes hosting services, application operations and maintenance, network services, a support desk, security, and disaster recovery.

Much of the Environment Agency’s existing hardware is due for refresh so Capgemini can install more energy efficient systems.

All disposals of end-of-life equipment will be done in accordance with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations and new hardware will be produced and transported sustainably and consume less energy in operation.

In September the Government claimed it had saved £7m in the previous year through its green IT strategy, cutting the carbon footprint of Whitehall technology by the equivalent of 12,000 tonnes of CO2.

According to Whitehall figures, IT is responsible for up to 20 per cent of carbon emissions generated by government offices - some 460,000 tonnes a year, or the same as a million households emit in a month.

The Cabinet Office aims to make the energy consumption of public sector IT carbon-neutral within four years.