Government IT must be greener, minister says

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The UK government needs to set a greener example when it comes to using IT, a cabinet office minister has said.

Speaking at the European Ministerial e-Government Conference in Lisbon today, Gillian Merron said the UK Chief Information Officer's (CIO) Council to help cut the carbon footprint of government computers.

"Figures from industry suggest that worldwide, information technology is responsible for about one billion tons of CO2 emissions each year - that's between two and four per cent of global energy," Merron said. "The government is by far the biggest user of IT in the UK, spending around £12 billion a year. We have a responsibility to set a positive example on the environment, so I am asking our IT leaders to work with industry to find new ways to improve the sustainability of government computer systems."

She added: "This doesn't just mean reducing the amount of electricity they use, but also looking at how they can be designed and built in ways that consume fewer materials and which make recycling easier."

The Chief Information Officer agreed with Merron. John Suffolk said there are already excellent practices in place, but by working with the IT industry, improvements can be made. "There is real potential to deliver more sustainable IT that also costs less and provides better results for users. New technologies can help reduce energy consumption and allow more flexible working," said Suffolk.

The CIO council will now team up with Information Age Partnership to examine how the government and industry can make public sector IT more sustainable, and will publish a report next year.

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