Government departments have been asked to take 18 steps to reduce the carbon emissions generated by ICT.
The Cabinet Office made the recommendations in a report, Greening Government ICT, aimed at making the energy consumption of government ICT carbon-neutral within four years.
The report claimed the UK government is the first in the world to make such an effort.
ICT is responsible for up to 20 percent of carbon emissions generated by government offices — around 460,000 tonnes a year. To reduce this, departments will be asked to take 18 key steps, including:
- Automatically switching off desktop computers outside working hours, which could save up to 117,500 tonnes of CO2 per year
- Reusing as much computer equipment as possible
- Auditing datacentres and use of servers to make sure they are running at maximum efficiency
- Specifiying low-power CPUs and high-efficiency power-supply units
- Utilising thin-client technology
- Reducing the number of printers used
The Cabinet Office will adopt the plans immediately. Other departments will be asked to base their environmental action plans around the steps and will be expected to report on implementation in their submissions to the Transformational Government Annual Report.
There is a longer-term plan for central government ICT to be carbon-neutral through its lifetime, including manufacture and disposal, by 2020.
Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson said: "Worldwide, computers are responsible for the same quantity of carbon emissions as the airline industry. It is a serious problem that requires a serious solution."
"That's why I'm so proud that we are the first government anywhere in the world to formally set out exactly what we're going to do to make our ICT systems carbon-neutral within four years. We won't achieve this just by offsetting but by making serious changes to the way we do business," he added.
"But it's not just about the government. I hope that the steps we're announcing today — including simple ideas, such as making sure everything is turned off when not in use, defaulting to double-sided printing and reusing old equipment for as long as possible — will also be picked up by private companies and individuals. Lots of small actions make a big impact. Between us we can make a real difference in the fight against climate change," said Watson.
Andrew Lee, chief executive of the Sustainable Development Commission, welcomed the move and said he hoped other government departments would build on the steps.
