By GreenerComputing Staff
June 13, 2008
A new survey on the relationship between IT and green initiatives found IT professionals take environmental concerns more seriously than their companies, but collaboration between IT and other departments is necessary for effective changes.
Of the more than 1,400 IT professionals surveyed by research firm Freeform Dynamics, only eight percent said they have little or no knowledge of IT-related environmental issues.
The majority said they take environmental issues seriously and care about taking action, but few said their organizations take the same issues seriously. For companies with environmental initiatives, the main drivers are regulatory pressure, cost savings and public relations. Sales, genuine concern for the environment and pressure from shareholders and investors were identified as exerting the least pressure on green programs.
The survey identified areas where IT can provide cost and energy savings along with practices that are hindering green IT initiatives. IT can make the biggest impact by reducing commutes and travel by supporting telecommuting, teleconferencing and flexible working, but an effective program needs collaboration among IT, facilities and human relations departments.
Another area in which companies are lacking is with power use. The majority of IT departments are not accountable for their power use and do not have the ability to monitor all the power consumption necessary to truly evaluate where they can make power-saving decisions.
Source URL: http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/06/13/it-can-impact-travel
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