Climate Change: Going Beyond the Business Case

A leading ICT sustainability practitioner today advised Australian businesses to look beyond cost savings when building a green IT business case.

Ms Alison O’Flynn, senior consultant with Fujitsu Consulting said business leaders recognise climate change is a major business risk and understand the need to respond.

“The significant challenges in building and delivering a green IT business case are determining how and when to act and how much a practical response will cost,” Ms O’Flynn said.

“Regulatory and major market changes are on the way, with the Federal Government preparing the way for a carbon emissions trading scheme starting in 2010.

“Fujitsu Consulting is challenging traditional thinking in this space, helping organisations go beyond the ‘savings’ approach and thinking and acting in a more holistic sense.”

Speaking at an Australian Information Industry Association event in Melbourne today, Ms O’Flynn said aligning green IT investment decisions with business strategy would give companies a head start in tackling potential regulatory in areas such as asset disposal.

“Already, the UK, European Union and Japan have specific mandates around IT waste and asset disposal,” she said. “Smart Australian companies are already thinking across the supply chain and product lifecycles.

“The environment is at the heart of everything we do at Fujitsu, from our wholehearted participation in the AIIA / Sustainability Victoria ByteBack Australia computer recycling service (Fujitsu pays for the collection and processing of its products, relieving taxpayers of the burden), to being the first company to commercially introduce notebook PC models featuring housings made with an environmentally friendly bio-based plastic that require less oil to produce.

“That innovation resulted from Fujitsu’s commitment to making every activity green – we saw environmental sustainability as an opportunity and added value to the company as a result.

“From our frontline experience we’re able to help other organisations implement a range of strategic green IT initiatives supported by a roadmap of benefits.

“If you look at environmental sustainability simply as a cost, you will be stuck reacting to problems and making only gradual improvements; if you make the connection between the environment, sustainability and profitability, you can make fundamental differences to operations which can generate new sources of revenue and profitability.”