Page 4 - st1_flip

04 sustainabletimes 0870 903 9500

greenAgenda

Longer PC life is key to the success

of Government’s IT plans

Computer reuse charity Computer Aid International has welcomed The Cabinet Offce’s plans to carbon neutralise Central Government computer systems through a comprehensive carbon reduction and offset programme, with the caveat that to do it cost-effectively they will need to extend the lifetime of PCs.

Last month, the Government announced plans to reduce carbon emissions from information and communication technology (ICT) used by central Government departments,

which currently accounts for 20% of the carbon emissions generated by Government offces. It plans to make the energy consumption of ICT carbon neutral by 2012, followed by the whole lifetime of IT equipment, including its manufacture and disposal, by 2020.

This will be achieved through a combination of carbon offsets and energy-saving strategies, such as automatically switching off PCs outside offce hours; extending the life of computers; and auditing datacentres and servers to make sure they are running at maximum effciency. Louise Richards, CEO of Computer Aid International, welcomed the Government’s commitment to extend the life of computer equipment. She said: “Turning PCs off overnight will help the Government reduce carbon emissions, but most of the energy used in the lifetime of a PC is consumed during manufacture. This is backed up by research from Professors Kuehr and Williams, showing that power saving can only address a maximum of 25% of the negative environmental impact of PCs. “If the Government wants to attain its carbon neutral targets it needs to address the remaining 75% of the

problem and rightly identifes ICT re-use as an effective way to save both energy and money. The short lifespan of computers drives additional PC production, so extending the life of a PC through upgrade and re-use is vital in mitigating the environmental impact of PC use.”

Richards said that it was essential for the Government to prioritise reuse of equipment over recycling; to do away with automatic equipment refreshment cycles; to use its purchasing power to reward the producers with the ‘greenest’ manufacturing processes; and to urge OEMs to redesign PCs with an upgrade path.

She added: “In April 2008, the Department for International Development (DfD) pledged 1,000 laptops to Computer Aid for use in schools in developing countries. If other government departments – and businesses – followed this example they could take a giant step toward becoming carbon neutral, without spending a penny and at the same time make an invaluable contribution towards reducing the digital divide between the developed and developing world.”

www.computeraid.org 020 8361 5540

Since it was founded in 1998, Computer Aid has provided more than 125,000 PCs to organisations in developing countries.

EOL IT Services, a refurbisher of redundant IT equipment, has achieved carbon neutral status for all collections and deliveries by investing in carbon offsets from The CarbonNeutral Company.

The Essex-based company chose offsetting in preference to the use of biofuels or zero emission vehicles, due to concerns about biofuels’ impact on food production and the lack of infrastructure to support electric vehicles. EOL IT Services’ carbon offsetting initiative supplements its zero landfll policy and follows a hat trick of Business In The Community (BITC) Big Tick Awards for Eco-Effciency.

www.eolitservices.co.uk

Britons concerned that a low carbon society will involve a radical change in their lifestyles can take some comfort from a new study conducted by Siemens and McKinsey & Company.

In Sustainable Urban Infrastructure the two companies state that that by implementing existing technologies, London could reduce annual CO 2 emissions from buildings, transport and energy by 44% (on 1990 levels) by 2025. A reduction of this scale would enable London to meet most of its energy reduction targets, including a reduction of 12% by 2012 (Kyoto), 20% by 2020 (EU) and 30% by 2025 (UK Govt).

However, further reductions brought about by regulation, lifestyle changes or technological innovation will be needed if London’s own target of a 60% by 2025 is to be met.

The report’s authors have calculated that the measures need to meet these targets would require additional annual investment of less than 1% of London’s total economic output until 2025; and that almost 70% of the reductions could be achieved with technologies that would pay for themselves through reduced energy costs.

Nearly 75% of the technological changes required are dependent on the co-operation of individuals and businesses, notably the adoption of energy effcient lighting and improved insulation in London’s buildings, which account for two thirds of the capital’s CO 2 emissions.

As a result, cities will need to address not only what they can do to directly reduce CO 2 emissions but also how they can promote greater adoption of these technologies by consumers through changes in regulation, taxes, subsidies, access to capital and public information.

www.siemens.com

Carbon-free delivery

London can meet carbon reduction targets