Document Management News

The government has saved at least £7m over the past year by making its IT systems greener, said Cabinet Office minister Angela Smith today.

Changes, including extending the life of PCs, making double-sided printing a default option and making sure computers are turned off at night, have helped cut the carbon footprint of central government by 12,000 tonnes a year.

The Carbon Trust says Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is responsible for up to 20% of carbon emissions generated by government offices. Each year it generates around 460,000 tonnes a year.

The amount of carbon cut over the last year therefore makes up just 2.6% of the annual total.

Smith said, “Information technology is one of the hidden causes of climate change – worldwide, computers are responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as the airline industry, but few people are taking action to improve the situation.

“A year ago the British government became the first in the world to set tough targets to tackle the huge environmental and financial costs of computer use."

Government departments were asked to take 18 key steps, including turning off all machines at night, extending the lifecycle of computers, re-using as much IT equipment as possible and increasing server efficiency.

Where some of the efficiencies were made:

The Department for International Development (DfID) donated old equipment to charities in developing countries.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) saved £2.35m by replacing 9,500 computers and 2,500 printers every five years rather than every three.

The Home Office saved £2.4m a year by removing unused IT equipment and improving efficiency.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will save 200m sheets of paper a year, through cutting down the number of printers in the department and changing the default setting to double-sided printing.