In any debate about environmental impacts, the focus tends to fall on the usual suspects – aviation, oil and gas, mining and the extractive industries. However, more and more companies in other sectors are coming to realise that their apparently ‘green’ profile hides a potentially
damaging reality.
As the report by Global Action Plan makes clear, companies in a whole range of service industries need to understand the carbon footprint of their ICT activities. This goes way beyond encouraging employees to switch off their PCs and monitors at the end of the day – it requires organisations to improve the whole process of data management and storage. For example, the GAP survey found that nearly 40% of the IT servers at the 120 UK companies they surveyed are underutilised and running at less than half capacity.
Clearly, much responsibility lies with the vendors of ICT equipment – and they are taking real steps to improve the energy efficiency of the products they bring to market. However, companies also need to be more aware of the real energy costs they are incurring in running and cooling centralised IT equipment and systems.
Replacing an IT server is a high risk, high cost, capital expenditure project. It is not something that companies can enter into lightly. Despite this, there is a genuine corporate responsibility on all businesses that use IT to ensure they are making the best use of their existing infrastructure.
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National Energy Efficiency Awards
The public services came out top in the National Energy Efficiency Awards this year with the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service receiving the National Champion award as well as the Transport Management and Logistics award. The awards are organised by the UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development, sponsored by EDF Energy and supported by the Independent newspaper. The awards acknowledge the achievements of companies, the public sector, schools and community groups in reducing energy use and were held on December 5. Contact UK CEED 01733 311644www.ukceed.org ; www.energyawards.org.uk
Coke light
Coca-Cola Enterprises has reduced the weight of its 330ml glass bottle by one fifth and it is believed that this will lead to savings of an estimated 2,200 tonnes of CO2 per year (about the same as the annual CO2 emissions of 365 UK homes). This initiative is part of CCE’s obligation to the Courtauld Commitment – a voluntary agreement on reducing packaging. Contact Coca-Cola Enterprises www.cokecce.co.uk
Computers’ carbon footprint
The British ICT sector has a carbon footprint similar to that of the aviation industry according to a report by the environmental charity Global Action Plan. Inefficient Truth, published in December, found that 86% of the ICT departments surveyed are not aware of their carbon footprint and that less than 20% check energy bills. Global Action Plan calls on the government to introduce legislation and tax incentives in order to promote sustainable strategies for ICT businesses. The research involved input from a range of organisations including Pearson plc, Britannia Building Society, John Lewis Partnership, E.ON UK and was supported by Logicalis, the internet solutions provider.
Contact Global Action Plan 020 7405 5633www.globalactionplan.org.uk
Google and energy
Google has launched a new initiative at the end of November that will see the development of electricity from renewable sources, which will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The new initiative, called RE<C, will focus on solar thermal power, geo-thermal systems, wind power and new technologies. In 2008, Google aims to spend more money on research and development in renewable energy.
Contact Google 001 650 253 0000 www.google.com
Nokia commits to environmental sustainability
Nokia highlighted the need for the mobile industry to make an increasing contribution to environmental sustainability at its annual Nokia World conference at the start of December. The company’s chief executive, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, stated that the company was “committed to taking a leading role in increasing environmental awareness and performance right across the industry, creating further products and services that help people make more sustainable choices. It is both the responsible thing to do and it makes good business sense”. Nokia outlined its plans to support new initiatives in areas such as energy efficiency, recycling and packaging and it also launched the Nokia 3110 Evolve, an energy-efficient mobile phone made of 50% renewable material. Contact Nokia www.europe.nokia.com
US carbon reductions
The US can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one-third or a half by 2030 according to a report published jointly by McKinsey & Co. and The Conference Board in December. The report, Reducing US Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost?, claims that the reductions can be achieved at manageable cost to the economy and without requiring big changes in consumer lifestyles by using proven and emerging renewable technologies. The research, which involved leading companies, industry experts, academics and NGOs, provides detailed analysis of 250 opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and suggest that this can be done at a cost of less than $50 per ton of CO2. The report recommends that investment must be increased in the next few years to accelerate the development of new technologies and also highlights the importance of public policy and private sector innovations to achieve these goals. Contact McKinsey & Company 020 7839 8040www.mckinsey.com ; The Conference Board www.conference-board.org
Coca-Cola recycles
As of January, Coca-Cola Great Britain will be including the Recycle Mark on the packaging of 16 of its soft drink brands including Diet Coke, Coca-Cola and Coke Zero.The company will also be launching an initiative that will see inspirational messages about the benefits of recycling cans appear on the cardboard wrapping of Coca-Cola and Coke Zero multipacks. The Recycle Mark is the mark developed and used by Recycle Now – the national campaign in England to encourage people to recycle more. Contact Coca-Cola Great Britain www.coca-cola.co.uk ; Recycle Now www.recyclenow.com
Feeding the Olympics
Food at the London 2012 Olympic Games must be local, organic and ethical according to a report from the Soil Association, Sustain and the New Economics Foundation. The report is part of a campaign to “ensure that the food associated with the London 2012 Games matches the values enshrined within the Olympic Charter, and the promises made in the London bid for ‘the most sustainable games ever’”. It calls on all businesses catering for the 2012 games to play an active role in attaining this goal.
Feeding the Olympics: How and why the food for London 2012 should be local, organic and ethical was published in December and highlights that the London games are an opportunity to show the link between fitness and healthy food as well as food and climate change. It also evaluates whether McDonald’s and Coca-Cola should be sponsoring the games and concludes by setting out a sustainable 12-step food programme for the games. Contact Soil Association 0117 314 5000www.soilassociation.org
Environmental restaurants?
Most restaurant chains ignore ethical issues according to Ethical Consumer magazine. The magazine ranked 26 of the largest national restaurant chains against ethical issues and found that most of them failed to provide their customers with fairly traded, organic and other sustainable alternatives. Some of the restaurants included in the report are Pizza Hut and Pitcher & Piano. Contact Ethical Consumer www.ethicalconsumer.org
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