Green IT Toolkit

Minister presses for green government IT

Kablenet.com

Published: 21 Sep 2007 07:46 BST

Speaking at the European Ministerial eGovernment Conference in Lisbon on Thursday, Cabinet Office minister Gillian Merron called on the UK Chief Information Officers Council to reduce the carbon footprint of government computers and improve the sustainability of public-sector IT.

"Figures from industry suggest that, worldwide, information technology is responsible for about one billion tonnes of CO2 emissions each year — that's between two and four percent of global energy," Merron said.

"The government is by far the biggest user of IT in the UK, spending around £12bn a year. We have a responsibility to set a positive example on the environment, so I am asking our IT leaders to work with industry to find new ways to improve the sustainability of government computer systems," said Merron.

Merron added: "This doesn't just mean reducing the amount of electricity they use, but also looking at how they can be designed and built in ways that consume fewer materials and which make recycling easier."

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The Cabinet Office said the Chief Information Officers Council will work with the Information Age Partnership – a technological forum set up by the former Department of Trade and Industry – on a report on the issue to be published some time in 2008.

John Suffolk, the government's chief information officer, said: "There is real potential to deliver more sustainable IT that also costs less and provides better results for users. New technologies can help reduce energy consumption and allow more flexible working."

"There is already some excellent practice in place and we look forward to working with the IT industry to build on this and to deliver continued improvements in the future," said Suffolk.