AIIA calls on Federal Government to support Green IT

According to IT research firm Gartner, the ICT industry globally produces around 2 per cent of total carbon emissions –- as much as the airline industry.

Birks said that the ICT industry had only recently become aware of its role in climate change.

“It’s probably only in the past three to five years that environmental sustainability has become such a strong issue that it’s really had a direct and positive impact on the design and creation of ICT solutions,” said Birks.

Change started at the lowest levels, with individual devices becoming more environmentally friendly.

“When one looks at a current generation notebook PC, it’s somewhere in the order of 17 times more energy efficient than a desktop from a couple of years ago.”

Higher up in the data chain, changes were being made on a company-wide scale.

“Strategies like virtualisation, consolidation of servers and PCs are very much in tune with the ‘green IT’ agenda.”

These changes are a result of government regulations on carbon footprint reporting, said Birks.

For the first time, this financial year large organisations will need to report their environmental impact alongside financial, governance and compliance data.

At the AIIA’s recent media roundtable, sustainability officers from ANZ Bank and Foster’s said they took a 'very direct' approach to green procurement of IT.

“Reducing their carbon footprint is in the key KPIs for their organisation, and that’s cascading down the organisation from the CEO down to the CIO and all the people within the IT area, who are directly applying that need for change,” Birks said in summary.As well as improving conditions within the ICT industry, Birks said that tech firms had the power to make 'tremendous' changes to the wider community’s environmental impact.

“The World Wildlife Fund has done a study recently identifying the first billion tonnes of CO2 that can be effectively reduced by smart use of ICT,” said Birks.

“Look at things like smart buildings, telecommuting, virtual meetings, intelligent transport infrastructure and energy supply systems. Across those spectrums, ICT can play a huge role.

“Take smart buildings for example. If the building is smart enough to know when someone’s left their desk, they no longer need power delivered to that desk, and the lighting can be switched off from that desk area.

“That can have a dramatic impact on the overall level of carbon emissions.”

E- recycling

In support of its pro-environmental position, the AIIA recently launched a pilot program in Victoria to recycle computer waste.

The program, called Byte Back, allows consumers to take products back to collection centres around the state, including OfficeWorks.

“Around 98 per cent of the equipment can be effectively recycled, which is amazing given that it’s quite old equipment,” said Birks.

Birks called on the Federal Government to extend the scheme nationwide.

“Industry companies are very keen to demonstrate responsibility and ownership for the effective management of waste.

“The other states are very keen to pick it up themselves, but we would rather see this as a national perspective.”

The AIIA will host the Sustainable Futures Forum on October 7 at the Sofitel Melbourne, focusing on the impact of emissions trading on the ICT industry.

aiia environment hardware sustainability