Industry association the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is developing a plan to research and promote best practices for green IT while the group will also aim for carbon neutrality in its own operations.
In response to efforts from individual IT companies as well as the recognition that technological innovations can offer significant solutions to the global climate challenge, the ITU has formed the Focus Group on ICTs and Climate Change, which has already begun work and will meet in person next month to assess progress.
The ITU began its work last month with the formation of the Focus Group and the presentation of reports on green IT practices to the G-8 summit in Japan in early July. The group's efforts are intended to be complete by April 2009, resulting in a comprehensive plan that could reduce IT's overall emissions by as much as 40 percent.
The ITU will work to implement the best practices developed in the group in its own activities, as well as promote them to member organizations. The ITU is already adopting some green practices, including paperless meetings, virtual conferencing, teleworking and remote collaboration tools. Furthermore, the trade association has announced a goal of climate neutrality by 2011, and is hosting a green IT seminar on September 3, entitled "Going Green: Feel Good or Good Business?"
The full list of goals and activities that the International Telecommunications Union is undertaking to reduce the industry's impact is available online at http://www.itu.int/themes/climate/.
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