The government has saved at least £7m over the past year by making its IT systems greener.
Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith said: ‘Information technology is one of the hidden causes of climate change – worldwide, computers are responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as the airline industry, but few people are taking action to improve the situation.’
Changes made include extending the life of PCs, making double-sided printing the default option and making sure computers are turned off at night. The Cabinet Office said this had helped cut the carbon footprint of central government computers by 12,000 tonnes – the same as taking 5,000 cars off the road.
‘I hope that private companies and individuals will also recognise the savings that can be made and get on board,’ said Smith.
Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith said: ‘Information technology is one of the hidden causes of climate change – worldwide, computers are responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as the airline industry, but few people are taking action to improve the situation.’
Changes made include extending the life of PCs, making double-sided printing the default option and making sure computers are turned off at night. The Cabinet Office said this had helped cut the carbon footprint of central government computers by 12,000 tonnes – the same as taking 5,000 cars off the road.
‘I hope that private companies and individuals will also recognise the savings that can be made and get on board,’ said Smith.
