Green IT - Are we becoming apathetic?

By Jenny McLeod, G2G3

Last week, Version One interviewed 100 senior IT professionals across a range of public and private sector organizations in the UK. The topic? Green IT and where industry leaders place the environment on their business agenda. Whilst 86% of interviewees expressed concern over their carbon footprint, this positive response has fallen 12% since 2007. Depressingly, it seems that IT environmentalists are losing faith and people are starting to wonder - is the IT industry becoming apathetic?

I can see a number of potential explanations for this decline. Apathy is certainly a plausible candidate, and if that is the case then perhaps these statistics indicate a refreshing bout of honesty rather than 'green fatigue'. I'm sure that within this 86% there are significant number whose environmental initiatives don't make it past the official company line, and according to www.techworld.com “there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that UK businesses talk green but don't act it”. Not good news.

On the other hand, it may be that other concerns have taken precedence this year. The current economic climate is a worry for all business sectors and energy saving initiatives are usually the first thing to go. Greener practices may not have been abandoned, just put on hold for now. Also, the general manager of Version One, Lynne Munns, points out that respondents may have already actively taken steps to reduce their environmental impact, and are less concerned as a result.

Hopefully Lynne is right. The IT industry has an important role to play and the European Commission on the Environment has made it clear that “it is important to realize how much IT can help reduce the carbon footprint of private and public enterprises alike”. Whether this reduction comes from cross-industry initiatives or altering print settings (yes – the energy saving mode will make a difference) the time to start is now. Energy costs are escalating, consumer values are changing and NGOs are now directly targeting the IT industry with environmental campaigns. Birkenstocks and hemp sweaters may never become a staple of the office environment but the 'business as usual' model cannot continue for long – apathy won't do.