Public sector IT can lead green agenda

Technology on its own will not be enough

There is no longer any need to prove the point that technology has a major role to play in reducing carbon emissions ­ not least since the publication of figures indicating that IT is responsible for two per cent of global CO2, the same level as the headline-grabbing airline industry.

But IT suppliers are making a good show of rising to the challenge. There are plenty of green systems already on the market, and more in development.

But technology on its own will not be enough.

Green IT is not only about spending money on new systems. There also needs to be significant cultural changes, amounting to much more than simply encouraging people to turn off their PC at night or not to print emails unless really necessary.

With the development of carbon-tracking technologies, real-time power monitoring and smart building systems, the IT department has a major role in shaping an organisation’s environmental policy.

But even before the next generation of systems becomes widely available, the inclusion of environmentally-friendly considerations in commodity IT purchasing is far from mainstream.

And with a possible economic downturn looming, businesses are warier than ever of the seemingly-endless green credentials being touted by suppliers.

It is here that the government may have a significant role to play, and without recourse to meddlesome regulation.

With annual IT spending power of a massive £14bn, the inclusion of green criteria into public sector technology procurement would have an enormous effect, by setting an example and stimulating the market.

There is no question that the basic remit of the Office of Government Commerce ­ Whitehall’s buying agency ­ should remain ensuring the best possible deal for taxpayers’ money. But such a remit does not have to be to the exclusion of all other considerations.

Public sector technology must be up to the job. And ensuring a minimal environmental impact is now part of that job.