The spotlight for this year’s CeBit exhibition, my first, was on ‘higher efficiency and lower costs in all areas of business IT’. Interestingly enough, however, little attention (in relation to the entire exhibition) was paid to the Green IT World, though increased efficiency and lowered costs are two definitive green IT mantras.

Compressed between Halls 7 and 9, the Green IT World was supposed to demonstrate for the 400,000 visitors what green IT can do for the environment and the economy. Many were drawn to the innovative power-saving desktops, the climate friendly data centres, and the virtual ways of doing business. But, as visitors had their green curiosity fulfilled, they dutifully moved on to the possibly more interesting ‘Webciety’ or ‘Future Parc’.

I wonder if perhaps the hype of green IT is slowly dying after a peak last year? Maybe the economic climate is discouraging new investment? Perhaps the efficiencies and cost savings associated with green IT are not clear enough?

The potential for green IT is immense. Reducing the carbon footprint of IT itself is a given, but IT should also be recognised as the lead enabler in tackling the ‘other 98%’. Currently ICT accounts for roughly 2% of the UK’s carbon footprint. It is argued that increasing the right carbon footprint of ICT (the 2% portion) can vastly reduce the carbon footprint in other sectors – eg ‘the other 98%’ of carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, energy, and buildings.

In one of the many presentations during the exhibition, Dennis Pamlin (WWF) argued over and over again that the IT community has spent enough time on the 2% and need to quickly and radically pay attention to the other 98%. The audience applauded his staunch position and nodded in agreement. But then they all left, with over 1,000 high-intensity light bulbs supporting their spectacular view of the newest of the new in IT.

The debate continues; all stakeholders are keen to talk about the problem and potential solutions, and progress is taking place but more is urgently needed. I’m sure that this is because we are all waiting for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to come out with yet another round of fresh, strong data and recommendations before we take further actions.

Technorati Tags: Climate debate, Green IT

Tags: Climate debate, Green IT

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 9:05 am and is filed under Energy and Environment, Public Sector. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.