A report for Communities and Local Government shows that online council services can contribute to big cuts in CO2 emissions.
People who use the internet to contact their local authority, instead of writing or driving to council offices, could help save the equivalent of millions of air miles in carbon emissions, according to research commissioned by Communities and Local Government.
The study is based on data supplied by Sunderland City Council, which shows that increasing the number of online applications for five key services — planning, schools admissions, registrar's certificates, environmental services enquiries and council tax payments — could save 80,000kg of CO2 each year.
Communities and Local Government said that rolled out nationally this is the equivalent of more than 14,000 tonnes of CO2, or 5,362 return air flights from Heathrow to Malaga each year.
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Contrary to what was expected, the research, carried out by sustainability consultancy Best Foot Forward, shows that these carbon savings are significantly in excess of the negative impact of extra IT server capacity.
Parmjit Dhanda, the e-government minister, said on 17 January, 2008: "The Best Foot Forward study supports government plans for a low carbon economy and debunks the received wisdom that increases in IT server capacity negate any CO2 savings arising from the Internet economy."
The report concludes that increasing the take-up of online services can form an important part of a broader carbon reduction strategy in all local authorities.
