Fujitsu Australia releases new research: Green ICT - The State of the Nation

Sydney, September 29, 2009

Fujitsu, a leading provider of business, information technology and communications solutions has today released ‘Green ICT: The State of the Nation’, a Fujitsu Australia-commissioned research paper that reveals how Federal Government agencies are responding to the transition to a low carbon economy.

Fujitsu Australia’s Head of Sustainability, Alison O’Flynn will be presenting the research findings at Old Parliament House, in Canberra on 29 September 2009. “The findings in this report give further insight into how Australian Government agencies are preparing for the emerging sustainable ICT aspirations and goals being established by the Australian Government”.

“The research found that Australian Government ICT managers are personally more concerned about climate change than the Australian population generally and also more concerned than ICT managers in other sectors. In fact, the survey identified no climate change deniers at all. This may be because of an increased awareness of the issues raised in the Gershon report and the subsequent high profile of sustainability in government generally,” states O’Flynn.

The research clearly shows that Australian Government ICT managers have done far more in the measurement of ICTs power consumption, and in ensuring accountability for Green ICT, than their counterparts in the private sector. This would indicate Australian Government ICT managers are demonstrating Green ICT leadership, both as a result of their agencies’ overall commitment to a green strategy and because of their awareness of the ICTs important role in reducing overall carbon emissions.

For Australian Government agencies, the most important reasons to tackle Green ICT are the overall green strategy of the agency, which is itself driven by a combination of an awareness of the role ICT can play in reducing the organisation’s overall carbon footprint and energy costs.

The report reveals an increased level of accountability within the Australian Government ICT manager’s. In about 50% of cases the responsibility is with CIOs for Green IT compared to 10% in the private industry.

Australian Government ICT managers have done far more in the measurement of ICTs power consumption. However opportunities remain when it comes to Green ICT lifecycle management, the usage of Green ICT technologies and products, and the adoption of practices and techniques. Green ICT practices and techniques are not as widely adopted as the technologies and products, indicating that agencies maybe overlooking less expensive but perhaps equally effective changes in behaviour.