12 Nov 2009

IT is 'a secret weapon against climate change'

IT can play a key role in reducing the level of carbon emissions by UK businesses, it has been claimed.

Warren Wilson, research director at Ovum and Datamonitor, speaking at the Green IT Expo 2009, said IT is the common denominator that pulls together all other climate change initiatives - from reforestation to renewable energy - as without reductions in the amount of energy used by firms, there is little chance of meeting emission reduction targets.

He commented: "We need to address every possibility for cost-effective conservation; we need to keep making computing more efficient, keep looking for cost-effective opportunities."

According to the Can Green IT Bloom in an Economic Downturn report, the current global economic recession has squeezed IT budgets, hindered capital expenditure and generally slowed the growth of IT development, but may also prove to be a significant upside to the market for green IT.

It noted that current green IT investments are driven by compliance with environmental legislation and cost savings.