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Green IT in the European public sector

March 2010 | 14 pages | ID: GD09E2CA676EN
Ovum

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Although green IT has been the subject of much debate and media coverage for the past few years, it is still only in the early stages of adoption by many European public sector organizations. Our research indicates that in the sector green IT initiatives are mostly carried out in an ad hoc and tactical manner to generate quick wins, either alongside or as an adjunct to other IT programs. While it is good to achieve immediate benefits from short term and ad hoc measures, a strategic and joined up approach would increase the scale of and the returns from green IT programs. Furthermore, the strategy should be incorporated into every government entity’s stated corporate, social, and environmental responsibilities to tie in with other ongoing and planned activities and to lay the foundations for continued action in the future. Costs of ‘going green’ and cultural barriers in the organizations are often cited by the sector as the biggest barriers to progress. Central governments have a key role to play in overcoming these challenges by pushing a strategic agenda for change. They can help by providing focus and leadership, setting objectives, and incentivizing the move to sustainable practices in IT.
SUMMARY

Impact
Ovum view
Key messages

IT IS EARLY DAYS FOR GREEN IT IN THE EUROPEAN PUBLIC SECTOR

A tentative start to green IT
Europe
UK
Germany
France
Denmark
Other European countries
A US perspective

DRIVERS FOR GREEN IT ARE NOT YET COMPELLING ENOUGH

Failure to launch
Regulations and standards
BS 8555 STEMS
The Climate Change Act
Energy Star
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS)
The WEEE Directive
The Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
ISO 14001
Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations for public sector bodies
Recommendations for suppliers
Plenty of opportunities to tap into
The bigger picture
Vendors must educate the market
Alternative views

APPENDIX

Further reading
Methodology


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