Technology firms improve carbon credentials

IT firms are shaking off their reputation for excess energy use, according to the Environment Agency's newly published Carbon Reduction Commitment league tables, which shows technology firms among the top performers.

The figures from Environment Agency underscore the point that the IT industry is responsible for massive energy consumption, but they also highlight the action being taken by the industry.

For example, telecoms giant BT had one of the largest carbon footprints in the industry – some 1.2 million tonnes during the 2010/11 reporting year.

But it was also the tech industry's best performer when it came to taking action, scoring 95 out of 100 on the Agency's 'early action' scale which measures the steps taken by firms, such as introducing smart meters and making more intelligent use of energy.

For its part, BT claimed to have shaved more than £13m off its annual energy bills, thanks to the use of smart meters and installing energy management systems in its buildings.

Other IT firms scoring well on the CRC early action scale included Logica, Telefonica and Fujitsu.

But not all IT firms scored so highly on action taken. A handful, including Symantec, Computer Associates and Global Crossing, scored zero on the early action scale.

But while Symantec was responsible for producing more than 8,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, Global Crossing produced more than 21,000 tonnes.

One of the problems with the CRC tables is that it doesn't give firms credit for using more eco-friendly sources of energy, said Richard Tarboton, director of energy and carbon at BT.

“BT’s industry-acclaimed carbon reduction programmes around wind turbines, solar arrays and other low carbon energy sources, are not recognised in the current CRC league table,” he added.

And while the IT industry might consume its share of energy, it was also one sector that could help others find ways of reducing their carbon footprints, according to Ian Foddering, chief technology officer in the UK and Ireland at networking giant Cisco.

“The IT industry is one of the few industries capable of effecting real change quickly. Done properly, modern communications and networking technology has great potential as a weapon in the battle to reduce carbon output throughout the world’s industrial and economic entities,” he said.