Oz pins hopes on green IT

ARN.

According to AIIA's CEO, Ian Birks, green IT is expected to be a major concern again in 2011. “Whether there's a carbon tax or not, the ICT industry has a great role to play that hasn't been fully explored yet,” says Birks.

ComputerWorld reports that following the federal government's announcement of a carbon-pricing framework, Birks said developing environmental sustainability has been a long-term priority for the local industry.

“The ICT industry takes management of its own carbon emissions very seriously and it is an area in which we aim to lead by example,” he said.

According to ITWire, rapidly rising energy costs and the introduction of major pieces of legislation related to energy use and waste disposal, drafted for later this year, will see an irrevocable shift away from buying on initial price to total cost of ownership.

“As our appetite for electronic technologies continues to grow, there are some undeniable facts that are now influencing procurement strategies,” says principal sustainability consultant at Fujitsu Australia, Trevor Barrows.

“The cost of energy will double within the next five years; we will shortly have a national waste policy; some form of carbon tax or trading scheme will be introduced within the next two years; and the dilution of renewable energy programmes in Australia is already happening. These all add new dimensions to the cost of every asset.”

“Whether it's ICT equipment, paper or furniture, now whole-of-asset lifecycle is under consideration, including greenhouse gas emissions and waste related to manufacture, lifetime use and disposal,” says Barrows.