A practical guide for councils on greening their ICT has been launched by the local government Society for IT Management (Socitm). The report examines the likely legislative drivers and audit requirements that will mean that, over the next few years, public sector IT directors will begin to have their project decisions examined and assessed according to their environmental impacts.

Topics covered include...

• ...managing the lifecycle of ICT equipment;
  
• ...reducing data centre energy use; and
  
• ...making the wider organisation greener through ICT.
  

Point by point action checklists round off the report which is available via the Socitm website: http://www.socitm.gov.uk/socitm/Library/Green+IT+report.htm .

Environmental legislation confirmed in the recent Queen's Speech means public bodies will soon be compelled to reduce their use of power and their carbon footprints - and ICT systems form a significant part of a modern public sector body's carbon footprint.

So sustainability is no longer optional: strategies must be drawn up by ICT managers and project managers to reduce ICT energy use and heat
emissions; reduce and manage ICT waste; embrace flexible and mobile working to cut transport requirements; and use technology systems to
reduce other emissions and waste.