Crucial role of green IT

IT has a huge impact on the environment. Imagine the millions of PCs sitting on desks around the world. Ten times their weight in chemicals and fossil fuels went into making them. Eighty-five percent of the electricity that powers PCs goes to waste as they lie idle. And when companies discard outdated models, they comprise 70 percent of all hazardous waste.

Not a pretty picture - and one that is very much on public display, even as companies pursue sustainability initiatives. Pressures are growing, from regulatory agencies, consumers, the media, and competitors, who are savvy to the advantages of green marketing. It is only a matter of time before companies turn to their IT departments and CIOs to not only "green" IT from within but support the company's overall sustainability initiative. Some IT departments have taken steps to make their data centers run more efficiently. Soon, corporate leadership will expect IT to be an essential partner:

• Reducing energy consumption of all technology enterprise-wide
• Increasing IT asset utilization
• Purchasing the most sustainable hardware and software
• Tracking energy consumption, water usage, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions enterprise-wide
• Evaluating the carbon footprint of packaging and logistics
• Providing technological alternatives to business travel, manufacturing processes, records management, and communication
• Assuming a leadership role in identifying and using innovative technology to enable corporate sustainability initiatives, such as QR bar coding, carbon facts labeling, and waste reduction (among others)

Deciding where to start and how to prioritize sustainability initiatives can be daunting. The key is to start now, before IT is thrown into a reactionary mode of one-off fixes.

Based on extensive, worldwide experience, A.T. Kearney's SIT experts recommend beginning with an understanding of the corporation's strategic goals against the three pillars of sustainability: economic development, social well being, and environmental protection. IT needs to evaluate in detail its role in achieving those goals.

By evaluating the core components of IT operations (e.g., hardware, software, and labor) and the processes that govern whether they are purchased, deployed, utilized, and disposed of in the most sustainable manner, IT can better understand its challenges. Such an approach will yield an array of improvement opportunities, some that can be implemented easily, and others, such as data center migration, that require more in-depth planning and support.

In the Race to Be Green: Turn to IT
While helping the planet is certainly important, the top- and bottom-line benefits for those that take steps to go green are a big motivator.
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Learn more about A.T. Kearney's sustainability expertise