European governments forced to buy energy efficient IT

Public sector bodies in all European Union member states must buy energy efficient office equipment, following a new regulation the European parliament adopted today.

The Energy Star programme now requires all member states - including the UK - to consider energy efficiency when procuring office equipment, such as computers, printers and monitors. It is expected to save some 30 Twh (terawatt-hours) in electricity over the next three years in the EU alone.

While EU institutions and central governments do not have to use the manufacturers approved by Energy Star, they now must only buy products which meet or exceed the group's criteria.

"It is important both for environmental reasons and as a means of saving taxpayers' money, since energy efficient office equipment is also cost-effective," said energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

The European Commission and the US government signed an agreement in December to extend the Energy Star programme for give years.

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