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Investigating Green IT Read (HG IT Article) Glance over and read the (G IT Case Studies) but you will just need to focus on a few cases studies of your choice 3 cases Answer these 4 Questions below. NOTE: when you answer them you will be required to use some additional research. NOTE: be sure to support your answers. NOTE: extra spaces, headings, title pages, diagrams and long citations will not count toward your page length You have use 2 diagrams and/ or charts from the case you chose You should use 3 cases as I mentioned and you may chose 2 diagrams from one of those cases or you can use 2 different diagrams from 2 different cases (from those 3 cases you already chosen) Write 6 pages (diagrams will not count toward your page length) Grading will be determined on style, content, completeness. ((APA style)) Be sure to cite your sources and answer Stick to credible sources (and be sure to cite them in APA style). Questions have more than one part to answer (colored pink) be aware to answer all parts No plagiarism Questions 1. Define “Green IT” in your own words. Why is this topic important for IT professionals to consider? 2. Research online to find and explain 3 Green Technologies that would be beneficial if they were implemented widely. Discuss the benefit and drawback of each technology. (cite your sources). 3. From G IT Case Studies article, choose three cases to briefly summarize. Be sure to describe what Green efforts are discussed in the case as well as the outcome. What are your thoughts on these? 4. Research online to find information on a specific city, project or organization that is focusing on eliminating e-waste. Summarize and describe what you found. Was there anything surprising that you discovered in your research? NOTE: If you chose city ((City must be in USA)) Case Studies Greening Your Business Through Technology Leading you towards a sustainable future through GreenIT Version: V1.0 © Copyright AIIA Nov 2009 Contents Introduction i Methodology i 1 Case Study: Canon – GreenIT Drivers 1 2 Case Study: SEMA – eLearning (Business Innovation) 6 3 Case Study: Tradeslot – Client Facing Teleconferencing (Business Innovation) 9 4 Case Study: PowerfulCMS – Teleworking (Business Innovation) 5 Case Study: Innovation Science – Energy Management 12 Low Investment Option – Technology Innovation 15 6 Case Study: Fujitsu – Journey Over Time 19 7 Case Study: Intel – Sustainable Program Office 30 8 Case Study: Telstra – Cost Benefit Analysis Calculators (Business Innovation) 35 9 Case Study: PCA People – Green Business Certification Program (Business and Technology Innovation) 38 10 Case Study: Toyota – Developing a GreenIT Roadmap (Business and Technology Innovation) 41 11 Case Study: Corporate Express – Data Centre Optimisation (Technology Innovation) 45 12 Case Study: Jetstar – Virtualisation (Business and Technology Innovation) 49 13 Case Study: Intel – Server Hardware Refresh Using Energy Efficient Equipment (Technology Innovation) 54 14 Case Study: Connex – Carbon Management System (Business Innovation) 57 15 Case Study: BLADE – Integrated Blade & Top of Rack Switches (Technology Innovation) 60 16 Case Study: DELL – Energy Management (Enterprise Solution – Minimum 200 Desktops – Technology Innovation 62 17 Case Study: Handset Detection – Cloud Computing (Business Innovation) 65 18 Case Study: Sustainability Victoria – ByteBack Australia (Business Innovation) 68 19 Snapshot: Wal-Mart – Sustainable Product Index (Business Innovation) 71 20 Snapshot: State Government of Victoria – Environmental Selection Criteria for Multi-function Devices (Business Innovation) 21 72 Case Study: State Government of Victoria – Environmental Selection Criteria for Desktops and Laptops (Business Innovation) Please note: text appearing in orange indicates hyperlinks for your reference 74 Introduction Over recent years, a large number of AIIA members have actively worked to progress GreenIT issues and have been supported in this aim by AIIA and Multimedia Victoria. As a result, the contributions made by AIIA members have been integral in raising awareness of the importance of being ‘green’ and have provided insight on how to implement sustainable, environmentally friendly IT practices at an organisational level. The AIIA Sustainable Futures Forum has simultaneously grown in stature to become a premier forum for thought leadership on GreenIT and as such, has provided much practical industry insight into ‘green’ practices. As a result, a number of excellent local case studies have been showcased that both improve the financial bottom line and reduce the environmental footprint for an organisation thereby leading the way for others to follow in creating a low-carbon economy. The case studies documented in this book have been done so in order to provide a ready-at-hand resource for small business managers and busy professionals seeking information across a range of GreenIT practices. These case studies cover a wide variety of the different business and technology innovations that are available today and illustrate through practical know-how, the application and insight needed to implement and execute GreenIT initiatives in order to realise benefits for at an organisational and environmental level. If your organisation has achieved something in the GreenIT space that is different to, or adds to that which is outlined in the case studies presented in this document, AIIA would be keen to hear from you in order that your information and insights can be included in further evolutions of the If you would like to access the AIIA GreenIT eBook, click here Methodology Each of the case studies presented in this document have been prepared in a collaborative effort with each of the featured organisations. Where possible, relevant reference material was provided by each of the vendors/suppliers, enabling the inclusion of additional support information to assist in highlighting the key messages being made. To keep the presentation of all the case studies consistent, the following format has been used where possible: 1. The client problem – what was the issue that needed to be addressed? 2. What was the solution proposed by your company and/or partners to address this problem? 3. What was the net result of the application of the technology to: a. b. c. d. e. Efficiencies e.g. cut in carbon. Productivity in staff. Financial, e.g. initial cost to invest in new technology, how after 2 years this has reduced expenditure for the business unit by more than 50 percent, i.e. we have paid it back and the investment is now making the business line more profitable etc. Any cultural shift or changes that were hurdles etc. Other areas of significance. 4. Application to other businesses, e.g. this was a large scale/small scale project but the same principles can be applied to an SME etc. 5. A quote from someone involved in the project. Page i AIIA has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all the information provided and represented by participating companies involved in each case study is factually correct and relevant. All copyrights, designs, trademarked images, logos, graphs and corporate information provided by contributors and represented in this publication by AIIA is done so in good faith, without prejudice to AIIA in the event of any IP infringement, misrepresentation, or any other legal infraction whatsoever. 1 Canon Case Study: Canon – GreenIT Drivers Synopsis In 2004, Canon established a global environmental performance program with specific targets for the company. The program, Factor 2, provided Canon a framework to measure its progress towards doubling its eco efficiency by 2010, based on 2000 figures. The initiatives undertaken by Canon to maximise value, while minimising resources were: 1. Maximising resource productivity through Technological Innovation. 2. Reducing environmental burden through improved management efficiency (Business Innovation). After eight years, Canon reduced CO2 emissions per units of net sale by 30 percent as compared with 2000 figures. Though resulting in some reporting in-normalities, the use of this Key Performance Indicator (KPI) has been an effective communication tool for keeping key stakeholders updated and sustained peoples engagement throughout this long period of time. In addition, the technology innovations achieved through focusing on waste minimisation assists Canon in being regularly ranked in the top three companies in the USA for patents granted, where many of Canon’s new devices provide customers with significant savings in energy consumption and lower operating costs. The principles applied by Canon to reduce its carbon emissions can be applied to any organisation, regardless of size. Taking the time-old approach of measure, monitor and reduce approach, Canon quickly identified the quick win opportunities and then progressively made improvements to further reduce emissions. By focusing on efficiency and productivity by deriving maximum value from minimum resources, Canon has improved its bottom line and reduced its environmental footprint. Featured Organisations Canon is a leading professional and consumer imaging solutions corporation with a comprehensive product line including: digital video cameras, digital compact and SLR cameras, printers, scanners, fax machines and networked multifunction devices. Carbon Planet is a global full-spectrum carbon management company that brings together scientific expertise, industry experience and business insights to deliver an integrated suite of carbon management services. Page 1 1 Canon The Path to Sustainable Development Through its philosophy of ‘Kyosei’ (roughly translated as living and working together for the common good) Canon has always had a commitment to Sustainable Development. In 2004, Canon established a global environmental performance program with specific targets for the company. The program – Factor 2 – provided Canon with a framework to measure its progress towards doubling its eco efficiency by 2010, based on 2000 figures. After eight years, Canon reduced CO2 emissions per units of net sale by 30 percent as compared with 2000 figures. Though resulting in some reporting abnormalities, the use of this Key Performance Indicator (KPI) provided an effective communication tool for keeping key stakeholders updated and sustained peoples engagement throughout this long period of time. In addition, the technology innovations achieved by focusing on waste minimisation have enabled Canon to regularly achieve ranking in the top three companies in the USA for patents granted as many of Canon’s new devices provide customers with significant savings in energy consumption and lower operating costs. As can be seen from the diagram below, operational site-related and distribution activities accounted for 29 percent of Canon’s lifecycle CO2 emissions in 2008. Product use by customers, raw materials and parts manufacturing by suppliers accounted for the remaining 71 percent. Activities focused on the full product lifecycle are therefore vital to reducing the companu’s environmental footprint. To this end, Canon is promoting technological innovation and improved management efficiency as well as eliminating its use of hazardous substances above its legal obligations. Total CO 2 Emissions per year (%) 100 (10,000t CO2) 100 1,400 1,300 1,200 1,100 75 1,000 900 800 700 50 600 Emissions per unit of net sales (Compared to 2000 levels 500 400 25 300 Customer usage Logistics 200 Operation site activities 100 0 Year 100 0 2000 2004 2005 2006 2007 Power consumption: approximately 80 68% reduction (data based 60 on product using a 100V Page 2 40 power source) 2008 Raw Materials / plant production using a 100V 40 1 Canon power source) The 20Problem to be Addressed Essentially, the aim is to achieve the productivity and creativity benefits available through the use 0 Previous Model imageRUNNER 3245 of Canon products while continually reducing the environmental footprint of those products. This (i3245 in some areas) demands the use of leading edge global research and development in order to deliver new ways of working and the use of smaller, lighter, more energy efficient products that utilise materials with more renewable components, thereby having less overall impact on natural resources. Produce Enriched lifestyles up Global warming prevention A society based on Kyosei, harmony between mankind and Earth Eff icient use of resources Environmental burden reduction Environmental burden down Recycle (10,000t CO2) Elimination of hazardous sunstance Use (%) 100 100 1,400 1,300 1,200 The Proposed Solution 1,100 The two key approaches Canon adopted to maximise value while minimising resources were: 75 1,000 1. Maximising Resource Productivity through Technological Innovation. 900 800 2. Reducing Environmental Burden through Improved Management Efficiency. 700 1. Maximising 600 Resource 50 Productivity through Technological Innovation 500 Canon invests a significant amount of both time and money in Research and Development for 400 identifying new ways to increase productivity through technology innovation. As such, Canon has 25 300 been ranked in the top three companies in the US for patents granted over many years. Emissions p (Compared Customer us Logistics 200 Two new technology developments were developed as a result of Canon changing focus towards 100 measuring CO2 emissions at0each stage of the lifecycle – ‘Induction heating’ and ‘On-demand’ 0 fixing technologies. TheseYear enabled of2005 significant reductions 2000the realisation 2004 2006 2007in energy 2008consumption for many of Canon’s products. This in turn provides Canon’s customers with tangible cost savings as a result of lower operational costs without any loss in functionally. Further information about Canon’s environmental technologies is available on the Canon web site. 100 Power consumption: approximately 80 68% reduction (data based 60 on product using a 100V 40 power source) 20 0 Page 3 Previous Model imageRUNNER 3245 (i3245 in some areas) Operation si Raw Materia 1 Canon 2. Reducing Environmental Burden through Improved Management Efficiency. The aim to eliminate waste and reduce the impact on the environment at all stages of the product lifecycle extends to all Canon companies. For Canon Oceania (Canon Australia and Canon New Zealand), this has translated into the following actions being taken: • Carbon footprint calculation This provided the opportunity to identify where improvements can be made. Activities that have been completed as a result include: a) Purchasing green energy. b) Converting to more energy efficient lighting in some offices. c) Reducing the size and efficiency of Canon’s branch offices by moving in to new energy efficient premises. d) Reduction of 22 percent in overall greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand between 2007 and 2008 due to significant decrease in business flights. • Effective recycling processes While Canon already had effective recycling processes in place, additional opportunities were identified to extend Canon’s participation in reducing the environmental issues associated with the end-of-life treatment of its equipment by customers.As a result, Canon has been very active in the following local industry recycling programs to address this issue: a) Byteback – a pilot project between the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and the Victorian Government to collect and recycle end-of-life consumer IT products. b) Cartridges for Planet Ark (C4PA) - one of the world’s most successful cartridge recycling programs which allows business customers and consumers to recycle toner and ink cartridges with a zero waste guarantee. C4PA recently recycled its 10th million cartridge after 7 years in operation. c) eDay – a regular event held throughout New Zealand to collect end-of life consumer eWaste. d) Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI) – a new industry association aimed at encouraging a national product stewardship approach to all types of batteries. Page 4 1 Canon What were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) Canon’s primary benefit for adopting GreenIT practices throughout the entire life cycle of its operations to be able to provide customers with a superior product that operates with optimal efficiency and has minimal impact on the environment. Further, this ‘environmental offering’ helped to strengthen Canon’s brand as a supplier of choice and also helps Canon provide customers value for money and in turn be able to deliver ongoing product development through innovation and technology advancement. In 2008, Canon Australia was awarded the prestigious Association of Field Service Management International (AFSMI) inaugural Australian Green Service Award, scoring well under the four major categories: • Environmental Benefits • Green Innovations • People Involvement • Responsible Trading Another benefit of Canon’s global approach to Research and Development is the employment opportunities provided in Australia by Canon Information Systems Research Australia (CISRA). CISRA is one of Australia’s top software research companies which provides innovative digital imaging technologies that strengthen and diversify Canon’s worldwide business offerings. Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles be applied to an SME)? The principles applied by Canon to reduce the organisation’s carbon emissions can be applied to any organisation, regardless of size. Taking the time-old approach of measure, monitor and reduce approach, Canon quickly identified the quick win opportunities and then progressively made improvements to further reduce emissions. Focusing on efficiency and productivity by deriving maximum value from minimum resources has enabled Canon to improve the organisation’s bottom line and reduce its environmental footprint. “For us it’s a journey – a continual process of improving the performance of our products while reducing their environmental impact at all stages of the lifecycle. Our part in that journey, as the local Sales and Marketing arm of Canon is to educate our customers to use our products in the most efficient way and to reduce our own impacts – particularly in relation to eWaste and Carbon Emissions” Janet Leslie, Quality Safety and Environment Manager, Canon Australia Pty Ltd. www.canon.com.au Page 5 2 SEMA Case Study: SEMA – eLearning (Business Innovation) Synopsis SEMA achieved increased productivity, competitiveness and profitability by embracing the use of eLearning to provide tailored educational sessions in the fields of business, IT and business transformation skills. By offering greater flexibility for the delivery of educational material, the disruption to business operations was minimised and staff members had the opportunity to progress at their own pace. From a sustainability perspective, the delivery of eLearning modules on-demand through the internet has provided SEMA with a number of opportunities to reduce the carbon emissions associated with: • Travel to training courses. • Hiring of training facilities. • The provision of paper related course material. • IT related book resources. The use of eLearning practices can be implemented within any organisation, regardless of size, language or location. Though the environmental benefits associated with less travel and paper consumption are becoming increasingly important, it is the increase in staff retention and productivity that provides the strong business case for organisations to make the change to eLearning practices. Featured Organisations SEMA is a leading Direct Marketing, Consulting and IT Business Solutions group with the largest 100 percent privately owned direct mail operation in Australasia. SkillSoft is a leading provider of on-demand eLearning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education and small to medium size businesses. The Problem to be Addressed A high level of staff turnover was leading to significant costs associated with maintaining staffing levels and associated training. This was in-turn impacting quality, job knowledge, turn-around times, system knowledge and placing a significant strain on management staff. Due to the costs involved, investment in training was low across the board and was only provided to key staff members. Those staff that did receive training were off-site for up to five days in order to participate in training, which in turn impacted the operational departments and was not flexible enough to meet SEMA’s client needs. The Proposed Solution SEMA embraced the eLearning programs that are offered by SkillSoft in order to provide tailored educational sessions across the fields of business, IT and business transformation skills. All course-ware is provided to SEMA staff online via the internet and has enabled SEMA to offer a wider range of educational information to a larger number of staff. Page 6 2 SEMA What Were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) The key benefits achieved were: • 822 percent Return on Investment (RoI). • Average staff tenure increasing to 2.8 years and growing. This has allowed SEMA to keep key skills and knowledge in-house and has provided a stable platform to both increase competitiveness and profitability. Average Length of Employment 3.1 2.6 Years 2.1 1.6 1.1 0.6 May ’09 Mar ’09 Jan ’09 Nov ’08 Sept ’08 Jul ’08 May ’08 Mar ’08 Jan ’08 Nov ’07 Sept ’07 Jul ’07 May ’07 Mar ’07 Jan ’07 Nov ’06 Timeline From a sustainability perspective, the delivery of eLearning modules on-demand through the internet has provided SEMA with a number of opportunities to reduce carbon emissions associated with: • Travel to training courses. • Hiring of training facilities. • Provision of paper related course material. • Provision of reference books. 19.5 t CO2 -e has been abated as a result of using SkillSoft to host 2293 eLearning sessions, given the CO2 emissions associated with travel and course material that have not been used. This is made up of 10.4 t CO2 -e associated with travel and 9.1 t CO2 -e associated with course material. Travel Calculation – Assumptions • Average trip distance is 17.7 km. • Car efficiency is 0.107 L petrol/km (default)1. • CO2 -e conversion factor is 2.4 t CO2 -e/kL petrol2. 2293 trips x 17.7 km/trip x 0.107 L petrol/km x 2.4 t CO2 -e/kL petrol x 1kL petrol/1000 l petrol = 10.4 t CO2 -e. 1 Environmental Defender’s Office New South Wales (Ltd) – Technical Fact Sheet: Measuring and reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of a small office. http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/scifs/sfs_greenhouse_smalloffice071101.pdf 2 Environmental Defender’s Office New South Wales (Ltd) – Technical Fact Sheet: Measuring and reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of a small office. http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/scifs/sfs_greenhouse_smalloffice071101.pdf Page 7 2 SEMA Course Material Calculation – Assumptions • 240 pages per course manual. • An A4 sheet of paper measures 0.297 m X 0.21 m (0.06237m2) and weighs 80g/m23. • CO2 -e conversion factor is 3332.25 kg CO2 -e/tonne of paper (Virgin paper and disposed at landfill) 4. 2293 courses x 240 A4 pages of course material. x 0.06237 m2/A4 page x 80g paper/m2 x 1 t paper / 1,000,000 g paper x 3332.25 kg CO2 -e/tonne of paper = 9149.9 kg CO2 -e = 9.1 t CO2 -e. Other benefits include: • Increased staff and management satisfaction levels. • Increased staff development opportunities. • Increased staff motivation through the provision of flexible, self-paced training solutions. • Reduced course setup time and associated costs. • Increased quality of work due to knowledge and retention of staff. Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles be applied to an SME)? The use of eLearning practices can be implemented within any organisation, regardless of size, language or location. Though the environmental benefits associated with less travel and paper consumption are becoming increasingly important, it is the increase in staff retention and productivity that provide the strong business case for organisations to make the change to ‘being green’. “What started as an initiative to solve our growing quality and retention issues, had the unexpected double benefit of fixing our problem, by enabling us to provide training in a more effective, efficient and cost effective way, whilst significantly improving our environmental impact in the IT discipline.” David Kerr, Commercial Manager – Analytics, SEMA Group www.semagroup.com.au 3 Environmental Defender’s Office New South Wales (Ltd) – Technical Fact Sheet: Measuring and reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of a small office. http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/scifs/sfs_greenhouse_smalloffice071101.pdf 4 Environmental Defender’s Office New South Wales (Ltd) – Technical Fact Sheet: Measuring and reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of a small office. http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/scifs/sfs_greenhouse_smalloffice071101.pdf Page 8 3 Tradeslot Case Study: Tradeslot – Client Facing Teleconferencing (Business Innovation) Synopsis Tradeslot reduced the cost and risk of converting international enquiries by using online meeting and teleconferencing software which offered a more viable solution than more traditional methods. Now, online meetings are hosted through CitrixOnline’s ‘GoToMeeting’ offering and all telephony enquires are facilitated using Skype. Tradeslot has achieved a low cost operating model by virtualising client facing communications and thereby embracing a low-carbon economy. Further, Tradeslot’s clients are also being educated in the practical ways in which they too could progress to a low-carbon economy in the future. The additional benefits of this change in communication methods include improved customer service and the ability for Tradeslot to have a viable global presence. Client facing teleconferencing is applicable to all business operations and is simple to use. While the environmental benefits of not travelling can be measured (and are increasingly important), it is the savings of direct travel costs and lost time that make this a viable and beneficial practice. Featured Organisations Tradeslot is a leading provider of allocation mechanism technology and carbon management software. Tradeslot was looking for a cost effective way to manage international enquiries. The Problem to be Addressed Traditional techniques for managing international relationships were both too costly and risky to be considered as a viable option. New, low cost techniques using easily available technology were required in order to effectively nurture an international enquiry into a converted customer. The Proposed Solution Use of easily accessible online meeting and teleconferencing software was integrated into key business development activities. The aim was to find a cost-effective way to progress customer enquiries. Now, online meetings are hosted through CitrixOnline’s ‘GoToMeeting’ offering and all telephony enquires are facilitated using Skype. Page 9 3 Tradeslot Carbon Navigator demo using ‘GoToMeeting’ What Were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) The implementation of online meeting tools into the lead generation process has been essential for Tradeslot to demonstrate its leadership in the low-carbon economy. Not only is Tradeslot now seen to be ‘walking-the-talk’ by embracing approaches to reduce travel related emissions, the company is now educating its clients in simple ways to adapt to a low-carbon economy. Other benefits include: • Improved customer service. Face-to-face contact is only required for key negotiations, thereby maximising the time available to speak with clients. Online demonstrations have provided the opportunity for Tradeslot staff to enhance their understanding of client queries and provide a tailored response to show the capability of its software. • Viable global presence. The use of online meeting tools enabled Tradeslot to serve the global market place, where it was previously too costly to do so. Tradeslot staff have had minimal issues as a result of using online meeting tools to nurture initial enquires into converted customers. An initial setup is required for customers new to this type of format, however, this is quickly resolved as soon as all headset/s and microphone/s are working correctly. Meetings are then activated with a click of a button at which time customers can be guided through the demonstration. Page 10 3 Tradeslot Alternative approaches available that are less effective include: • Sending the client a static PDF brochure – customers will typically have already seen this by the time they experience an online demonstration. • Sending a link to a video demonstration – this method doesn’t provide the opportunity to listen to clients and customers in order to establish what they require within the context of the demonstration. Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles be applied to an SME)? This solution has application across any business that have business units or clients across sites, cities, or countries. While the environmental benefits of not travelling can be measured (and are increasingly important), it is the saving of direct travel costs and lost time that really put the case forward for ‘being green’ with this approach. “We use online meeting software several times a week. It is more useful than a demo video because we can begin to build a relationship with potential clients by listening to their needs and customising what they see from the outset.” Jesco d’Alquen, CEO, Tradeslot www.tradeslot.com.au Page 11 4 PowerfulCMS Case Study: PowerfulCMS – Teleworking (Business Innovation) Synopsis PowerfulCMS utilises low cost techniques to manage international sales and mobilise a global workforce. The latest project management and client collaboration ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS) offerings centralise all communication in a virtual environment that is shared between customers and staff regardless of their global location. Adopting the use of SaaS tools in order to facilitate collaborative environments on-demand has enabled PowerfulCMS to establish a clear value proposition and competitive advantage. Cloud computing has enabled PowerfulCMS to manage cash flow more effectively as software licence costs become an operational expenditure instead of a capital expenditure. Further, by embracing the global workforce, PowerfulCMS is able to increase overall productivity. From a sustainability perspective, the use of remote work environments also provides PowerfulCMS with opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, thereby requiring fewer natural resources per unit of production and emitting less CO2e (CO2 equivalent) emissions into the atmosphere. Though this model demands a highly skilled workforce, these principles can be applied to any business considering new ways in which to increase its value proposition and competitive advantage. Featured Organisations PowerfulCMS is a local business that specialises in helping SMEs grow their business online. PowerfulCMS specialises in helping small to medium businesses with a proven concept and online revenues of 100K+ or successful offline businesses (under 10M) with no online revenues to achieve online revenues of 1M+. Forward Shift Environmental is an environmental Research & Consultancy organisation that has ,products and services within the Energy & Environment and Sustainable Computing sectors. As a non-profit engineering consultancy, Forward Shift Environmental’s focus is on the development of cost-effective solutions through a number of measures, such as engineering and educational initiatives that will deliver long-term value to all relevant stakeholders. The Problem to be Addressed The traditional techniques of using an office based environment to manage staff from various countries around the world was too costly and ineffective to be considered as a viable option when serving a global marketplace. New low cost techniques required in order to manage international sales and mobilise a global workforce demanded the latest technology available. Page 12 4 PowerfulCMS The Proposed Solution Use of the latest project management and client collaboration software using Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings were integrated into all key business activities. Communication was then centralised in virtual environments which were shared between customers and staff located in various countries all over the world. The development adopted ‘agile’ methodology, whereby iterative, small chunks of work were delivered in two-week increments in cohesion with business owners. The tools that were used are similar to those used for large-scale collaborative projects that have delivered open source projects like – Firefox, Drupal, Wordpress, etc. By implementing these processes and tools, businesses are able to respond quickly to changes that are most likely to produce the best revenue based on market conditions, without the normal exhaustive research, analysis, plan and implement process. Idea Concept Clients Users Developers Software Development Feedback Diagnostics Code Release to Market What were the end benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) Life Cycle Impact assessment Adopting the use of SaaS tools to facilitate collaborative environments on-demand has enabled Units 40,000 PowerfulCMS to establish a clear value proposition and competitive advantage. Cloud computing 50,000 and the use of SaaS has enabled PowerfulCMS to offset software capital expenditures with a 30,000 monthly pay-as-you-go surcharge and in turn has enabled the organisation to embrace a global 25,000in order to increase productivity. workforce Remote Work Best Case 20,000 Time 15,000 based efficiencies given the use of a global workforce added another factor, thereby allowing Centralised Best Case work 10,000 to be developed continuously around the clock 24x7. In this sense, work would be handed Remote Work Worst Case over to5,000 the person in the next time-zone as their shift ended. By eliminating the need for any Centralised down-time, was Worst Case 0 project assignments could be turned around in much shorter periods of time than Energy Consumption (MJ) e) Resource Depletion (kg) Global Warming Potential (kg/CO 2 otherwise possible. Impact Category Engaging a global workforce has, by nature, enabled PowerfulCMS to become culturally rich. Each employee posts photos and shares family details on their cultures and food with other team members, creating increased awareness, respect and knowledge of different cultures. Use of SaaS based tools for Project Management, Service Delivery, Service Reporting, Customer Relationship Management and Bug tracking have helped reduced start-up costs, enabled new systems to be trialled quickly, reduced the cost of operations and passed the value back to clients. Page 13 Developers Feedback Development Diagnostics Code 4 PowerfulCMS Utilising remote work environments has also provided PowerfulCMS with the ability to deliver solutions to customers with reduced embedded carbon natural resources (3,300 kg per project) and emits approximately 25 percentRelease less CO to 2e (1,500 kg per project) into the atmosphere. Market The following Life Cycle Assessment demonstrates that Remote Work consumes roughly 35 percent less natural resources (3,300 kg per project) and emits approximately 25 percent less CO2e (1,500 kg per project) into the atmosphere. Life Cycle Impact assessment Units 40,000 50,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 Remote Work Best Case 15,000 Centralised Best Case 10,000 Remote Work Worst Case 5,000 Centralised Worst Case 0 Resource Depletion (kg) Global Warming Potential (kg/CO2e) Energy Consumption (MJ) Impact Category Other benefits include: • Improved customer service. Greater transparency through a shared communication platform has provided customers with an opportunity to gain more ownership of projects and has increased participation in the elicitation of user requirements. • Viable global presence. The use of online collaboration tools has provided the ability to serve a global market place and mobilise a global workforce that would have otherwise not been possible. • Improved work-life balance. The staff associated with PowerfulCMS now enjoy a better quality of life. Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles be applied to an SME)? PowerfulCMS has proven the benefits and possibilities of embracing new SaaS technologies to offset software capital expenditures with a monthly pay-as-you-go surcharge, manage cash flow more effectively and increase productivity by mobilising its global workforce. This implementation also clearly demonstrates that Remote Work environments can enable businesses to deliver solutions to customers with reduced carbon emissions. Though this model demands a highly skilled workforce, these principles can be applied to any business that is looking for new ways to increase its value proposition and competitive advantage. “We had to innovate to find ways to break into a rather saturated market, reduce costs and increase value for our end clients. In doing so I am pleased to find the efforts undertaken positively impact the environment.” Joe Matthew, Account Manager, PowerfulCMS www.powerfulcms.com Page 14 5 Innovation Science Case Study: Innovation Science – Energy Management (Low Investment Option – Technology Innovation) Synopsis Innovation Science was constrained by the existing electricity supply arrangements associated with its leased office space, however, the company implemented practical and cost-effective methods of reducing carbon emission by taking a focus on minimising consumption. The initiatives were: 1. A ‘power-down’ policy for all end-user related IT and peripheral equipment (PCs/devices). 2. Programmable shut-down periods for non-critical servers and network infrastructure. 3. The replacement of workstation UPS’ with high-end surge protection boards. 4. The implementation of energy efficient lighting. The reduction in energy consumption was projected to achieve a 5X RoI over five years with the initial outlay of $865 projected to pay itself off in less than 11 months. Actual energy consumption figures over the first few months since implementation confirm these projections. This achievement clearly demonstrates that an organisation can make a contribution to reducing carbon emissions, even if faced with constraints out of its control. Focusing on working smarter and more efficiently can improve the bottom line and benefit the environment at the same time. Featured Organisations Innovation Science is a software and systems engineering company based in Adelaide, South Australia that specialises in scientific research and custom software development for defence and commercial clients. The Problem to be Addressed Innovation Science wanted to make a contribution towards reducing carbon emissions by purchasing green energy from renewable sources, but was constrained by existing electricity supply arrangements associated with its leased office space. Without a practical and cost-effective method of turning to green energy, Innovation Science instead turned its focus to minimising the consumption of power. Page 15 5 Innovation Science The Proposed Solution The following four initiatives were implemented, with the aim to minimise in-house power consumption: 1. A ‘power-down’ policy for all end-user related IT and peripheral equipment (PCs/devices). 2. Programmable shut-down periods for non-critical servers and network infrastructure. 3. The replacement of workstation UPS’ with high-end surge protection boards. 4. The implementation of energy efficient lighting. Power-down policy for all end-user related IT equipment (PCs/devices) A company wide policy was adopted where: • All staff are required to shut down workstations, and turn off screens and direct-attached peripheral equipment when they leave the office for the day. • Where practical, workstation equipment is to be switched off at the wall socket. • Ancillary devices (including shredders, microwave oven, etc.) are to remain switched off when not immediately in use. As a result of the above implementations, stand-by power consumption is minimised for equipment that is under the direct control of individual staff members. Programmable shut-down periods for non-critical server infrastructure Innovation Science segregated its existing server and network into two separate environments. All critical components remained operational 24/7, whilst all non-critical components were shut down during out-of-office hours. Most modern server computers have built-in power management capabilities which simplify the shutdown and startup of these devices. However, peripheral equipment and network switches rarely incorporate power management capabilities. A rack-mount tape drive, for example, was measured at consuming 21W while idle. Further, the stand-by power of server computers in their ‘off’ state was measured at between 4.9W and 6.6W per server. These values seem small, however, they add up surprisingly quickly. Innovation Science acquired programmable Internet Protocol (IP) addressable power switches in order to remotely control the power for each device in its server room. Non-critical servers were configured to shutdown overnight and the IP power switches were configured to switch off the power supply to these servers, network switches and peripheral devices after graceful server shutdown. Shutdown periods were configured to complement backup regimes, which were also adjusted to maximise the power-off duration of servers. Power to peripheral backup equipment was programmed to be supplied only during scheduled backup periods. Further power savings were made by programming the IP power switch to turn off a Power over Ethernet (PoE) network switch that was providing power to Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone handsets when the building was unoccupied. Should access to any of these non-critical devices be required out of hours, each device could be remotely activated by logging into the IP addressable power switch or by running a simple utility application to override the automatic power settings. Further, power to almost every device in the server room was now remotely controllable, thereby allowing power to virtually any device to be cycled from afar if necessary. Page 16 5 Innovation Science The 16 port, 2 channel IP addressable power switch consumes 2.2W plus 0.75W per active output port. This is substantially less than the standby power consumption of devices now controlled by the power switch. The revised configuration provided the ability to remotely shut-down and power-up non-critical servers and related equipment based on a pre-defined schedule – without needing to access the server room. The scheduling of equipment shut-down periods was carefully integrated with the power-down policy to ensure that business operations were not adversely affected. Replace workstation UPS with high-end surge protection boards During the end-of-life replacement of the existing Un-interruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems, each workstation UPS was replaced with a high-end surge protection board. The local supply of power had proven very reliable over the past five years and although some surges were experienced, the need for battery backup on workstations was deemed unnecessary. Each UPS was consuming 11W even while not under load, hence, replacing each workstation UPS with a high-end surge protection board provided an acceptable quality of power without the associated power losses. Implement energy efficient lighting As a result of having assessed alternative technologies (such as LED) to be inappropriate or immature for now, existing 50W halogen light bulbs were also replaced with more energy efficient 35W IRC equivalent blubs. The replacement bulbs provided the same light output and afforded a modest reduction in overall lighting energy consumption. All staff were encouraged to switch off lights to any non-public area while unoccupied (this practice was included in the policy change power reduction estimates). Network Segmentation to reduce power consumption Web Server Mail Server Voicemail Server Part-time Operation (Power Controlled via IP Addressable Switching Internet Firewall VoIP PBX PoE Network Switch Network Switch VoIP Telephones Firewall Development Server PSTN VoIP / PSTN Gateway Network Switch Work Stations Analogue Phone Facsimile IP Addressable Power Switch File Server Solaris Server Page 17 Tape Backup 5 Innovation Science What were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) The reduction in energy consumption was projected to achieve a 5X RoI over five years with the initial outlay of $865 projected to pay itself off in less than 11 months. Actual energy consumption figures over the first few months since implementation confirm these projections. Initiative Power Reduction Investment Policy changes 860-1,200 kW/yr $30 (once-off, review in 2 years) Power-down non-critical servers 3.5 MW/yr $460 (5 year amortisation) Workstation surge protection boards 580kW/yr $300 (5 year amortisation) Energy efficient lighting 235kW/yr $75 (3 year amortisation) Total 5.2 – 5.5 MW/yr $192/yr = ~5X RoI Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles be applied to an SME)? The results that Innovation Science has been able to achieve clearly demonstrate that every organisation can make a contribution to reducing carbon emissions, even if they are impacted by constraints out of their control as a result of occupying leased office space. Focusing on working smarter and more efficiently can be seen to directly improve an organisation’s bottom line and benefit the environment at the same time. “An average employee is at work for just 23 percent of a week: Imagine what power could be saved during the other 77 percent”. Michael Haddy, Managing Director, Innovation Science Pty Ltd www.iscience.com.au Page 18 6 Fujitsu Case Study: Fujitsu – Journey Over Time Synopsis Fujitsu’s philosophy is to drive business decisions by taking the stance that environmental preservation is not an additional cost but a corporate value. From 1970, Fujitsu has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to sustainability by conducting a number of focused environmental protection programs. This was then extended in 1993 to become a more formal environmental program which has involved the following stages: • Stage I – II (1993-2000): Establishing environmental management as a corporate agenda. • Stage III (2001-2003): Embracing recycling, waste minimisation and green procurement. • Stage IV (2004-2006): Transitioning from environmental management to management for a sustainable environment. • Stage V (2007-2009): Becoming more aware of environmental issues and identifying the most suitable approaches to implement. • Stage VI (2010->): Establishing global targets and working towards the 2020 vision. As a result, all operations throughout Fujitsu have been transformed, thereby delivering both efficiency gains and optimising business processes as a result of re-engineering. The key areas focused on include: policy, procurement, disposal, infrastructure, energy management, managed services and transformation through efficiency gains and business process re-engineering. Those principles that Fujitsu follows which can be applied to SMEs are: • Reduce the environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle. • Conserve resources to create best-of-breed eco-friendly products. • Reduce risks caused by the use of harmful chemical substances. • Help customers improve environmental efficiency. • Disclose environment-related results and critique for continuous improvement. • Encourage employees to keep in mind the impact of their business activities. Featured Organisations Fujitsu Australia Limited is a full service provider of information technology and communications solutions. Fujitsu partners with its customers to consult, design, build, operate and support business solutions. From strategic consulting to application and infrastructure solutions and services, Fujitsu has earned a reputation as the single supplier of choice for leading corporate and government organisations. Page 19 6 Fujitsu The Problem to be Addressed The challenge of developing an environmentally friendly business is in knowing how to balance environmental considerations with business and economic drivers. Popular short-term decision making to drive growth and gain market share can compromise the sustainability of business operations in the long-term. Keeping environmental issues in mind at the outset of any decision making process is a discipline that often challenges the status-quo. It requires a strong dedication to carry on and lead the way, even when it is not popular or appears as a disadvantage to competitors. The Proposed Solution Fujitsu has always had a long-term view in mind when balancing environmental considerations with both strategic and tactical business decisions. From ‘day one’, back in 1935, the environment was a key part of the philosophy of Fujitsu’s Founder, Manjiro Yoshimura, which led to the Kawasaki Plant being built using a park-style design – at his suggestion. Since then, this philosophy has continued to drive Fujitsu’s business decisions by taking the stance that environmental preservation is not an additional cost, but a corporate value. As a result, a number of activities across Fujitsu’s business have been completed on a global scale to minimise the impact to the environment. This includes manufacturing operations, professional services, management systems and waste disposal. From 1970, Fujitsu took this environmentally conscious approach further and demonstrated an ongoing commitment to sustainability by conducting a number of focused environmental protection programs. Initially focused on implementing environmental controls associated with manufacturing plant operations, these programs quickly spread across the organisation, with the most recent achievement being to assist Fujitsu’s customers achieve a seven million ton reduction in carbon emissions. The implementation of an environmental management evaluation system in 1993 enabled the adoption of a more methodological approach throughout the organisation. The result was a series of stages that could be defined to both manage the change process and build on the success of each stage. Page 20 6 Fujitsu Fujitsu’s Commitment To Sustainability Environmental Committee established Environmental control sections established at each plant 1970 Biodegradable plastic parts employed in notebook computers 1980 1990 Ozone Layer Protection Committee established Zero waste emission achieved by all 13 plants in Japan 2000 Green Product Program launched Sustainable data centre opened in Sydney Fujitsu helps its customers achieve a 7 million ton reduction in Carbon 2005 2010 100% Green Product ratio achieved for all newly developed products Environmental management evaluation system implemented Global Fujitsu to build environmental another sustainable management data centre in Perth framework established ISO14001 Global capability certification team established acquired by all Group companies in Japan • Stage I – II (1993-2000): Establishing environmental management as a corporate agenda • Marketplace Stage III (2001-2003): Embracing recycling, waste minimisation and green procurement • Shareholders, management to management for a Stage IV (2004-2006): TransitioningSuppliers, from environmental Government sustainable environment • Stage V (2007-2009): Becoming more aware of environmental issues and identifying the most suitable approachs to implement • Stage VI (2010->): Establishing global targets and working towards the 2020 vision Customers, Partners, Workplace Sustainability People, Offices, Environmental Approach and priorities in formulating the Stage V Fujitsu Group Environmental Program Fujitsu Way Performance Stage IV Fujitsu Group Environmental Protection Program (fiscal 2004 to fiscal 2006) • Environmentally conscious products and services Reducing our customers environmental burdens by providing superlative eco-friendly products and solutions • Global warming countermeasures Promotion of energy saving activities throughout the Group Stage v Fujitsu Group Environmental Protection Program (fiscal 2007 to Fiscal 2009) Basic polocies • Develop environmental activities in which all employees can play an active role in their Community daily work • Expand the scope environmental Local,ofNGOs activities to encompass the entire supply chain. Five priority areas • Improving the environmental valuse of product and services • Reinforcing risk management • Environmental contributions to society • Reinforcing governance Approach to creating the Stage V program – Aiming at further progress beyondthe Stage IV program Page 21 • Global warming countermeasures Medium and long-term social trends • Responding to global environmental trends Factors that impact management include global warming, energy and resource issues and stronger requirements for social responsibilty. • From the standpoint of complance Environmental laws, including laws concerning chemical substances management and product related regulations, are becoming stricter around the world. Approach to creating the Stage V program Taking into consideration factors that can influence our business in the future Fujitsu’s Commitment To Sustainability 6 Fujitsu Fujitsu helps its customers Biodegradable Zero waste achieve a Sustainable plastic parts emission 7 million ton data centre employed in achieved by Environmental control From a local perspective Environmental in Australia, it is Fujitsu’s belief that the organisation has an obligation, Committee reduction in opened notebook all 13 plants sections established in all of the communities in which it operates,computers to contribute to the sustainable growth ofCarbon society established in Sydney in Japan at each plant Local Policy approach as well as to grow itself. The Fujitsu team do not view environmental protection as a cost, but 1970 1980 corporate 1990 2000 2005 2010 rather a long-term value. Ozone Layer 100% Green Product Fujitsu is committed to providing environmentally friendly products and services to its customers, Global Green Fujitsu to build Protection ratio achieved for all environmental another sustainable Product including the Committee pursuit of sustainable activities across all of its operations. The company leverages newly developed management Program data centre in Perth established products launchedto help technology expertise and creative talents promote sustainableframework development. established ISO14001 Global capability transparency of reporting to gain the trust of its certification team established acquired by all ethical and legal standards, seek to protect the global Group companies in Japan human rights. Environmental management Fujitsu pursues sound management and evaluation system stakeholders. Fujitsuimplemented staff maintain strict environments and respect and protect Fujitsu’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) model comprises four dimensions. Marketplace Customers, Partners, Suppliers, Shareholders, Government Workplace Sustainability People, Offices, Fujitsu Way Environmental Performance Community Local, NGOs Page 22 6 Fujitsu Fujitsu’s commitments to each of the four corporate responsibility dimensions include: Marketplace Sustainability Community Workplace • Fujitsu will supply sustainable products and services to customers. • Fujitsu will share insights, thought leadership and sustainability learnings with all stakeholders. • Fujitsu will foster the role of sustainability in all dealings with stakeholders. • Fujitsu will work with business partners and suppliers to ensure environmentally friendly products are supplied. • Fujitsu will actively reduce its impact to the environment, through a sustainability program. • Fujitsu will measure and report its footprint and progress towards targets. • Fujitsu will engage staff members and reward sustainable behaviour. • Fujitsu will sponsor and support appropriate local community programs. • Fujitsu will contribute to improving society and the environment in which we all live • Fujitsu will leverage its corporate philosophy (FUJITSU WAY) to maximise Fujitsu’s value and enhance its contributions to society • Fujitsu will abide by its Code of Conduct. • Fujitsu will improve office facilities and to reduce its impact to the environment. • Fujitsu will support and reward staff members’ sustainability actions. What Were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) Policy/Governance In 2008, the Fujitsu Group developed a Medium-Term Environmental Vision – ‘Green Policy 2020’ – which aimed to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 million tons by 2020 through environmental innovation. Its aim is to support the creation of a prosperous, low-carbon society through leveraging its technologies and know-how to inspire environmental innovation for both business and society in collaboration with customers and partners. The policy is embodied by the three keywords: Creation, Collaboration, and Change, as illustrated below. Create a prosperous, low-carbon society Innovation The Creation of advanced technologies and business solutions. Page 23 Collaboration with customers, business partners, and other key stakeholders in the international community. The promotion of Change within the Fujitsu Group itself. 6 Fujitsu The Fujitsu Group is also a member of both ‘Climate Savers’ and ‘Green Grid’, two leading emerging environmental initiatives directed towards achieving long-term sustainable business practices. In 2007, Fujitsu established a sustainable business unit in Australia which is responsible for driving global initiatives locally and provides specialised environmental consulting services to customers. The Director of Sustainability provides monthly reporting to the CEO and Executive team and has a board approved GreenIT policy and strategy. “If you really want to understand the benefits and get the most value it needs to come from the top down. It needs to be an IT and a business strategy from the start – a whole-of-business strategy.” Alison O’Flynn, Head of Sustainability, Fujitsu Australia Limited www.fujitsu.com/au Procurement Globally, the Fujitsu Group is helping customers establish: 1. A more sophisticated Environmental Management System (EMS) where suppliers are encouraged to obtain higher levels of EMS accreditation to reinforce their activities for reducing environmental burdens. 2. A Chemical substances Management System (CMS) designed to enhance the management of chemical substances included in products in the supply chain as a whole. The Fujitsu Group Green procurement direction is part of its comprehensive environmental management system (EMS) and has obtained ISO 14001 certification. The organisation aims to supply products and services with low environmental loads and that do not contain hazardous substances. Fujitsu has also set forth the Fujitsu Group Green procurement direction in co-operation with its business partners, with the aim of further reducing environmental burdens in the supply chain. The plan is to expand the list of applicable items to encompass all procurement activities. Refer to the Fujitsu Group Sustainability Report 2008 for more details. In order for this plan to be implemented, Fujitsu requested that all business partners build their own environmental management systems and phase out the use of hazardous substances. Preference is given by Fujitsu to suppliers that: Page 24 • Design and build products using environmental friendly processes and raw materials, thereby contributing to reducing electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. • Offer environmentally friendly packaging to reduce landfill waste. • Provide more energy-efficient / less-polluting products, again contributing to a reduction in greenhouse emissions. • Minimise their energy consumption and advertise their environmental impact. • Offer Product Stewardship (suppliers who take back products after their end-of life) to help reduce landfill waste. 6 Fujitsu Disposal In December 1998, Fujitsu became the first company in the industry to establish a recycling system in Japan. The scheme involves the Fujitsu Group collecting waste products from industrial users for disposal and recycling. From its initial beginnings, Fujitsu now offers a certified recycling service and collects waste products from both industrial and individual users. Fujitsu is a founding member of the Byteback program launched in Victoria. The Byteback program is a free service available to all residents and small business owners in Victoria who want to dispose of unwanted, old and unused computers in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Fujitsu also encourages customers to take advantage a range of recycling options including: • Re-sale. • Refurbishment and re-sale. • Refurbishment and supply back into the customer’s project. • Donation for charity. • Safe Recycling, including the removal of data and in accordance with international standards. Infrastructure Globally, the Fujitsu Group has developed a super green product certification where a new version of a product has a 25 percent or greater reduction in energy usage over the previous version – achieved by a reduction of size, heating/cooling requirements and environmental impacts. Fujitsu’s target is to have over 50 percent of its products ‘super green’ certified by 2010. Fujitsu has relocated its Melbourne office to a new six star energy rated building. This offers significant benefits from both an environmental and productivity perspective. By adopting greener technology, the Melbourne office has been able to achieve: • A lower carbon footprint. • A reduction in water consumption. • A more pleasant working environment. “It is with great pride that we officially open our new office at The Gauge. Our move into this building is a true reflection of our commitment to innovation and sustainability.” Mr Rod Vawdrey, Chief Executive Officer, Fujitsu Australia Limited www.fujitsu.com/au Energy Management The Fujitsu Group is committed to the establishment of green data centres that operate in a stable manner, contribute towards a better environment and make this contribution visible. As a result, Fujitsu has created a Total Technology Framework for making this a reality, which is based on the following principles: 1. Virtualisation. 2. Efficient energy use. 3. Optimal air conditioning. Page 25 6 Fujitsu 4. Clean energy 5. Optimal building design. 6. Dedicated platform for the data centre. 7. Optimal energy linking between facilities. In Australia, Fujitsu is conducting a data centre Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) benchmarking program to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The organisation has also implemented desktop power settings, combined with a reporting tool that highlights savings made to users for reinforcing cultural change. • Power monitoring from upper level to terminal points • Temperature, humidity, air flow monitoring • Sensor network for flexible support of new equipment 1. Visulisation a: Pre-construction visualisation b: Everyday visualisation c: Expansion visualisation • Multi point temperature measurement by optical fibre • Thermal current simulation • Analysis / evaluation of energy usage • Analysis / evaluation of air conditioning Other data centre Power Data Centre Nearby facility 7. Optimal energy linking between facilities a: Power interchange among own centres b: Power micro-grid with nearby facilities c: Data centre business near power station (natural gas generation etc.) 2. Efficient energy usage a: High-efficiency transformers b: High- efficiency UPS c: DC power distribution d: 200V power distribution e: Optimal breaker allocation f: High-efficiency lighting fixtures g: Lighting control by human-presence sensor 3. Optimal air conditioning a: High-efficiency chillers b: Free cooling (by outside air) c: Free cooling (by assisting chiller) d: Optimal control of computer room air conditioning e: Local cooling f: Optimal balance control of computer room air conditioning and local cooling g: Converting air-conditioning cooling water pump into an inverter h: Modularisation of underfloor cables i: Chiller-assistance by groundwater Page 26 4. Clean energy a: Fuel cells b: Photovoltaic power generation c: Wind turbine d: Micro water turbine e: Storage by sodium-sulfur battery 5. Buildings a: Enhanced structural design b: Green building c: Optimal control of facilities (elevators, etc.) 6. Data centre dedicated platform a: Linking of middleware and facilities b: Low-heat generating chips c: Virtualisation technology d: IDC-dedicated racks e: IDC-dedicated servers 6 Fujitsu Managed Services The Fujitsu Group is ISO 14001 certified, which flows on to a strong environmental engagement with products, software and services. By providing its customers with environmental solutions and products designed to save energy, Fujitsu can reduce the carbon dioxide that is produced when its products are used by customers. • Energy saving product designs are achieved through the development of Super Green certifications, resulting in eco-friendly products. • Customers reduce their environmental footprint through the use of Fujitsu’s environmental IT solutions and product innovation. For more information click here Targets and Achievements in Reducing CO2 Emissions by Green Policy Innovation (1,000 tons) 317 300 250 208 200 150 127 100 74 54 50 50 4 0 FY 2007 (target) Reduction from providing solutions 68 6 FY 2007 (achieved) 115 12 FY 2008 (target) 185 23 FY 2009 (target) 280 37 FY 2010 (target) Cumulative Total 0 200 400 600 Reduction of at least 7m tonnes over 4 years. 700 800 (1,000 tons) Green Policy Innovation Reducing Customers’ Environmental Load by IT Offering to Customer Fujitsu GreenIT Reductions in Environmental Load by IT Green Policy Solutions Software / Services 12 (outsourcing, consulting) Reductions in Environmental Load by IT Green Policy Production Platforms, Networks, Software, Ubiquitous Networking Productions, Electronic Devices, Semiconductors. Environmental know-how from in-house expertise Business Area (R&D, Design, Manufacturing, Procurement, Logistics and Recycling) http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/environment/communication/report/2008/feature/gpi.html Page 27 Reduction from providing IT infrastructure 6 Fujitsu Transformation through Efficiency Gains and Business Process Re-engineering The Fujitsu Group has undertaken a number of transformational initiatives that have collectively resulted in both direct efficiency gains and the re-engineering of business processes. At a high level, facilities have measured a 10 percent reduction in power consumption, the use of Video Conferencing has resulted in 10 percent less travel and Accounts Payable processing enhancements have achieved a paper reduction of 15 percent. In Australia, Fujitsu has implemented: • Managed print services in all offices across Australia, reducing paper consumption by over 1 million sheets in 12 months. • Limited the number of multi-device devices per floor, requiring a cultural change for the Executive team. • Video conference facilities to communicate with Japan Head Office. • Video conference from desktops to facilitated virtual live meetings. Energy Consumption CO2 Emissions (Japan only and Group Total) and Trends in CO2 Emissions per Unit Sales (Group Total) (1,000 tons) 360 (tons/1,00 million yen) 30 36.4 Target: A reduction of 28% relative to fiscal 1990 per unit for the whole group 300 20 19.2 20.1 Reference value 240 16 13.9 14.6 11.5 180 11.5 12 11.0 Target: Domestic 8 (Japanese) emission under FY 1990 levels 0 114.7 134.5 97.1 114.9 93.6 111.0 109.7 128.1 112.6 128.7 136.7 153.8 135.4 159.0 136.6 161.1 103.5 60 108.3 120 4 0 FY 2010 (target) CO2 conversion coefficient for purchased electric power: Our results for fiscal 2002 and later are calculated as 0.407 tonnes CO2 per MWh, (we expect the coefficient to be 0.34 tonnes CO2 per MWh in 2010). FY 1990 FY 2000 FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 Actual sales: Consolidated sales compensated by the Bank of Japan's corporate goods price index (electrical equipment). Per unit value = CO2 emissions / actual sales. CO2 emissions (group total) CO2 emissions (Japan only) http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/environment/factories/gwarming/ Page 28 Per unit actual sales (group total) 6 Fujitsu Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles can be applied to an SME)? The Fujitsu Group has a strong heritage associated with environmental sustainability that is at the core of its philosophy. The organisation recognises that environmental protection is a vitally important business issue. By utilising Fujitsu’s technological expertise in the IT industry and creative talents, Fujitsu contributes to the promotion of sustainable development. In addition, while observing all environmental regulations in its business operations, the Fujitsu team actively pursues environmental protection activities. Those principles followed by Fujitsu that can be applied to SMEs are: • Reduce the environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle. • Conserve resources to create best-of-breed eco-friendly products. • Reduce risks caused by the use of harmful chemical substances. • Help customers improve environmental efficiency. • Disclose environment-related results and critique for continuous improvement. • Encourage employees to keep in mind the impact of their business activities. Fujitsu also provides professional consulting services to customers to share the knowledge and expertise it has acquired including: Page 29 • Providing strategic services at the business layer. • Providing tools for calculating carbon footprints/benefits at the application layer. • Providing a GreenIT portfolio at the infrastructure layer (unified communications, virtualisation, datacentre optimisation, energy management and print management). 7 Intel Case Study: Intel – Sustainable Program Office Synopsis At Intel, what began as a grass roots initiative when executives asked the question, ‘What is sustainable IT?’, has become a formalised IT Sustainability Program Office. Intel’s key aims are to deliver initiatives that focus on strategy development and education, development and delivery of sustainable metrics, drive the sustainable IT project and innovation portfolio, support external events and align eco-technology and corporate affairs. The key enablers that develop a cohesive, integrated strategy and a sense of urgency are: • Cultural change, through building a sustainability mindset. • The development of a sustainability framework for maintaining focus on critical activities. As a result, Intel has identified the key initiatives that will provide the highest impact in terms of sustainability benefits, cost considerations and potential results. These include a reduction in energy consumption and increased efficiency of the data centre (technology innovation); incorporating new products and technologies into the office environment to increase productivity and reduce energy consumption (business innovation); and the sharing of experiences with others in order to collaborate and improve results beyond the enterprise. Establishing an IT Sustainability Program Office provided Intel with the governance structure required to manage and measure efforts across the entire enterprise. It also provided the framework required for Intel to integrate sustainability principles into all the key decision-making processes that created awareness and a sense of urgency within the organisation. The same principles are just as applicable to SMEs, though they may not be as formally implemented due to the overheads required. SMEs still need to balance proposed initiatives with pragmatism and corporate goals to ensure that the investment in ‘green’ technologies results in increased efficiency and lower costs. Featured Organisations Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Intel® Software provides technologies, products and services to developers that need to create innovative products and industry-leading software solutions on Intel platforms. The Problem to be Addressed The environmental impact of conducting business, especially in the area of IT, continues to receive increased attention on all fronts – from customers and employees to regulators and local communities. In many corporations, environmental considerations have become explicit criteria for making decisions right alongside those criteria associated with financial considerations. Applying an environmental lens to strategic decision making is becoming more commonplace, whereby focusing on the ‘win-win’ benefits is now balanced with what might once have been seen as a competing interests, ie being environmentally friendly. Page 30 7 Intel Despite the fact that many corporations want to be proactive and reduce their impact on the environment, determining the best approach can be challenging. To date, there are few commonly accepted or clearly defined methodologies for making long-term strategic decisions regarding sustainability. As all corporations have financial targets to achieve and shareholders to satisfy, any proposed initiative must be balanced with pragmatism and corporate goals. Intel’s Climate Change Timeline • 2008 Intel sets a new 2012 climate change and energy conservation goals to drive continuous improvement. • 2008 Intel becomes the largest corporate purchaser of green power in the U.S. under the U.S. EPA Green Power Partner Program. • 2007 Intel joins the Chicago Climate Exchange, the only CO2 emissions trading market in the U.S. • 2007 Intel co-founds the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. • 2006 Intel joins the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders Program and commits to reduce global-warming gases 30 percent from 2004 baseline by 2010. • 2005 CO2 emissions now regulated at Intel’s Ireland site – Intel begins participating in EU trading program. • 2003 Intel energy conservation goal established: target average 4 percent per year normalised • 1998 Industry-wide goal set to reduce PFC emissions 10 percent below 1995 baseline by 2010. • 1996 Intel leads industry agreement on PFC reduction, the first voluntary agreement to reduce global-warming gases. • 1994 Intel begins public voluntary environmental reporting. The Proposed Solution Intel IT has long practiced what is now termed sustainability, by investing in and implementing technologies that could result in increased efficiency and lower costs. Early implementation strategies have matured into the sustainability programs that are used today to manage and measure efforts on a holistic basis across the entire enterprise, thereby integrating sound practices, efficient technologies and improved metrics. Early Initiatives Intel’s sustainability initiatives began over a decade ago. Recognising the importance of simply getting started, Intel created its own programs by establishing baselines and metrics for success. Each initiative offered direct benefits to the bottom line, whilst lowering Intel’s environmental impact. Establishing the IT Sustainability Program Office What began as a grass roots initiative when executives asked the question, “What is sustainable IT?” has now become a formalised IT Sustainability Program Office initiative with the following aims: Page 31 • Strategy development and education. Develop an IT sustainability strategy and roadmap to educate and provide leadership to the organisations on the principles and importance of sustainable business practices. • Develop and deliver sustainability metrics. Apply appropriate metrics and communicate sustainability performance while accommodating regional needs. • Drive the IT project and innovation portfolio. Define and drive an IT sustainability project and innovation portfolio, which includes ‘enabling Intel sustainability’ projects. 7 Intel • Support external events. Deliver or enable external communications to customers, industry forums and media. • Platform design team value opportunity input. Share IT key results, ideas and needs relating to sustainability and value-add opportunities with platform design teams. • Align Eco-Technology and corporate affairs. Drive and influence the partnership between Eco-Technology, Intel Corporate Affairs and IT. Intel’s Eco-Technology Platform Intel strives to serve as an environmental role model through its operations, policies and industry collaboration. Intel’s Eco-Technology platform encompasses both how products are produced in a sustainable way and what these products deliver, thereby ever-improving energy-efficient performance and contributions to environmental solutions. As part of overall Intel strategy, various organisations participate in Eco-Technology initiatives and Tracking Decision Making Redesign collectively, this organisational framework, Intel IT specifically • Uses metricswe are all part of the solution. • UseWithin a portfolio aaproach • Workplaces has two roles: • Align incentives • Get buy-in and ownership • Value chain • • • Set stretch goals using ‘what if’ analysis An active, contributing • Communicate results • Maintain management structure role in reducing Intel’s environmental impact. • Processes • Products An innovative, enabling role by providing the information systems to manage and improve Intel’s environmental performance. Building a Sustainability Mindset Increasing IT influence Intel’s goal was to develop a cohesive, integrated strategy that created awareness along with a sense of urgency within its organisation and1across Intel. Intel management knew they would need to influence corporate culture, including decision making processes and employee involvement in 2 order to be more sustainability-focused and adapt to1 new and methodologies. The steps Data thinking Center Power taken are shown below. 2 IT Employment Air Travel 7 3 Tracking • Uses metrics 4 • Align incentives • Set stretch goals using ‘what if’ analysis • Communicate results 3 IT Office Power Decision Making Redesign 4 Client Printing Embodied Energy • Workplaces 5• Use a portfolio aaproach Intel-wide Employee Air Travel • Value chain • Get buy-in and5ownership • Maintain management • Processes 6 Intel-wide IT Office Power structure • Products 7 Client Device Power 6 8 8 Client Device Embodied Energy Increasing impact Establishing a Sustainability Framework Increasing IT influence Intel established a sustainability framework as a mechanism for organising sustainability programs and projects and making sure the focus remained on critical activities. The framework guides projects that have an impact on energy efficiency with regard to data centres, office and 1 productivity, business capabilities and IT for buildings. Consume fewer resources • Energy • Water • Supplies • Transport • Buildings • Software and hardware Page 32 2 Sustainability Programs 7 3 Data Centre 4 8 Office & Productivity 1 Data Center Power 2 IT Employment Air Travel Business 3 IT Office Power IT for Capabilities Buildings 4 Client Printing Embodied Energy 5 sourcing, reduced consumption and Responsible 5 Intel-wide Employee Air Travel responsible reuse, recycle and disposition 6 Intel-wide IT Office Power Emit less waste • Electronic waste (eWaste) • Waste water • Carbon • Office waste 7 Client Device Power 6 Critical Activities Compliance: Help ensure data and information meet global regulations and standards 8 Client Device Embodied Energy Technology and innovation: Use new technologies to improve Intel® platforms and increase sustainability Increasingand impact Education, communication decision making: Develop IT sustainability principles Industry influence: Share best-known methods Measurements: Establish baselines, metrics and goals for resource management and waste reduction 7 Intel What were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Tracking Decision Making Redesign Cultural• Uses or Other) metrics • Use a portfolio aaproach • Workplaces • Align incentives • Get buy-in and ownership • Value chain • Set stretch goals using opportunities across • Maintain management that would provide • Processes Intel identified and evaluated the organisation the highest ‘what if’ analysis structure • Products impact in terms of: • Communicate results • Sustainability benefits. • Cost considerations. • Potential results. Increasing IT influence 1 2 1 Data Center Power 2 IT Employment Air Travel 7 3 3 IT Office Power 4 Client Printing Embodied Energy 5 4 8 5 Intel-wide Employee Air Travel 6 Intel-wide IT Office Power 6 7 Client Device Power 8 Client Device Embodied Energy Increasing impact High Impact: Data Centres Like many companies, Intel focused first on its data centre environment in order to reduce energy consumption and increase efficiency. As more than half of IT’s direct energy use is related to these facilities, reducing power consumption in all of Intel’s data centres is a key goal. Intel refreshes its servers on a four-year cycle to deliver new, more powerful and more energy efficient systems. Sustainability Programs Older, obsolete units are then reused, recycled, or judiciously disposed of. Data Centre Office & Business IT for Productivity Capabilities Buildings Several pilot projects are underway to enhance data centre power usage effectiveness (PUE) Consume fewer Emit less waste performance. Those projects that are focused on heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) Responsible sourcing, reduced consumption and resources • Electronic waste reuse, recycle and disposition • Energy (eWaste) have already returned outstanding results. responsible Application virtualisation and application • Water • Waste water end-of-life• Supplies (EOL) efforts have enabled the organisation to better utilise the assets in its immediate • Carbon Critical Activities • Transport • Office waste environment and reduceCompliance: the needHelp forensure purchases. data and information meet global regulations and standards • Buildings • Software and hardware Technology and innovation: Use new technologies to improve Intel® platforms and increase sustainability Education, communication and decision making: Develop IT sustainability principles Industry influence: Share best-known methods Measurements: baselines, metrics and in goals for resource management and waste reduction mobility andEstablish refreshing equipment Intel’s office computing environment, High Impact: Productivity Emphasis was given to which has increased overall productivity and decreased energy use by incorporating new products and technologies. Reducing the accumulation of personal printers, fax machines and copiers; incorporating double-sided printing; and using digital distribution methods have significantly lowered operating costs and reduced energy consumption. Additionally, implementing virtual conference capabilities and increasing the use of collaboration tools has helped to ‘bring the world closer’, thereby improving communications and reducing the need for local and international travel. Community Collaboration Intel IT is also active with its efforts to collaborate and improve results beyond the enterprise. Intel shares its data centre experience directly and Intel IT engagements also provide the opportunity to work with established communities – both onsite and online – in order to exchange techniques and strategies. Page 33 7 Intel Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles can be applied to an SME)? This is a great example that illustrates just how much can be achieved by an organisation when it becomes an ‘early adopter’ and establishes a leadership position. Establishing an IT Sustainability Program Office provided Intel with the governance structure to manage and measure efforts on a holistic basis across the entire enterprise, thereby integrating sound practices, efficient technologies and improved metrics. It also provided the framework for Intel to integrate sustainability principles into all key decision-making processes that in turn created awareness and a sense of urgency within the organisation. The same principles, frameworks and approaches adopted by Intel are just as applicable to SMEs, though they may not be as formally implemented due to the overheads required. SMEs will still need to balance proposed initiatives with pragmatism and corporate goals to ensure that any ‘green’ technologies in which they invest will result in increased efficiency and lower costs. Building a Long-term Strategy for IT Sustainability “Intel IT is engaged in developing a broad, ongoing sustainability strategy to help Intel consume fewer resources and emit less waste. In analysing the business case for IT sustainability, we identified the bottom-line benefits and defined the metrics that enabled us to effectively reduce our environmental footprint. Successful sustainability initiatives are now being incorporated beyond the IT organisation and we will continue to take a structured approach to identifying solutions and instilling long-term sustainability.” Sally Wellsandt, Sustainability Program Manager, Intel Corporation, April 2009 Steven Snyder, Intel Program Manager, Intel Corporation, April 2009 www.intel.com/au Page 34 8 Telstra Case Study: Telstra – Cost Benefit Analysis Calculators (Business Innovation) Synopsis In building a roadmap, it is important for an organisation to carefully consider the current situation, the future goals of the organisation and assess what the best opportunities are based on the cost of change to achieve the desired outcomes. As a part of this process, the cost justification can sometimes be difficult to develop, making it difficult for an effective financial decision to be made due to the lack of confidence and uncertainty in the calculations. A white paper entitled ‘Using ICT to drive your sustainability strategy’ was developed by Telstra to illustrate new Return on Investment (RoI) tools that can be used by organisations to help them in determining the feasibility of the following four proven ICT technologies: • Video Conferencing. • Teleworking. • Web Contact Centres. • Fleet and Field Force Management. The RoI calculator highlights how these four proven ICT technologies can deliver cost savings to organisations, significant environmental benefits and work-life balance benefits to employees. This includes an estimation (based on certain assumptions) of greenhouse gas emission reductions and employee productivity outcomes by assessing the anticipated financial costs and savings to the company by adopting each alternative. Featured Organisations Telstra is the only communications company in Australia that can provide customers with a truly integrated telecommunications experience across fixed line, mobiles, broadband (BigPond®), information, transaction and search (Sensis®) and pay TV (FOXTEL). The Problem to be Addressed In building a roadmap, it is important for an organisation to carefully consider the current situation, the future goals of the organisation and assess what the best opportunities are based on the cost of change to achieve the desired outcomes. As a part of this process, the cost justification can sometimes be difficult to develop, making it difficult for an effective financial decision to be made due to the lack of confidence and uncertainty in the calculations. Page 35 8 Telstra The Proposed Solution A white paper entitled ‘Using ICT to drive your sustainability strategy’ was developed by Telstra and WWF to illustrate new Return on Investment (RoI) tools which can be used by organisations to assist them in determining the feasibility of the following four proven ICT technologies: • Video Conferencing. • Teleworking. • Web Contact Centres. • Fleet and Feld Force Management. The RoI calculator highlights how these four proven ICT technologies can deliver cost savings to organisations, realise significant en vironmental benefits and deliver work-life balance benefits to employees. This includes an estimation of greenhouse gas emission reductions and employee productivity outcomes by assessing the financial costs and savings to the company for each alternative. For example: • Video Conferencing. A large company that spends approximately one million dollars in interstate travel a year could save 200 tonnes of CO2 annually by implementing a high-definition video conferencing service. This service could be paid off as a result of reduced travel expenditure in approximately seven months. In addition, an individual would save travel time which would improve their work-life balance and increase workplace productivity. • Teleworking. An organisation with 1800 employees could reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 500 tonnes of CO2 a year by encouraging 200 staff to work remotely from home for three days a week (this includes the CO2 emissions associated with an employee working from a home office). • Web Contact Centres. A contact centre with 150 employees could avoid approximately 130 tonnes of CO2 a year by providing 50 employees with access to an online contact centre system from home for three days a week. The ICT investment could be paid off through productivity improvements in around 11 months. • Fleet and Field Force Management. An organisation with a field workforce of 500 employees could avoid approximately 600 tonnes of CO2 annually by adopting a mobile field force management application on a wireless device. The investment could be paid off through reduced energy expenditure in around six months, providing annual savings of about 10 percent. What were the End Benefits? (Efficiencies, Productivity, Financial, Cultural or Other) Telstra has already implemented the use of these tools and has successfully achieved sustainable growth through the investment in ICT driven productivity. This is what has been undertaken achieved, according to Telstra: 1. Video Conferencing. Telstra invited 100 of its marketing team to a virtual-offsite conference utilising hi-definition (HD) video conferencing. In doing so, the company avoided 54,000 kilometres, or 214 hours of travel and 23 tonnes of CO2 emissions, whilst saving $20,000 in travel costs. Telstra’s Enterprise & Government team has rolled out a large fleet of HD video conferencing units, which has allowed them to reduce business travel by 30-40 percent in the last financial year. Page 36 8 Telstra 2. Teleworking. If 1,000 Telstra employees work one day a week from home, 850 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions is saved, which is the equivalent of 165 cars off the road. In addition, each employee would save $400 a year in after tax money by avoiding 74 hours of commuting costs. To encourage the uptake of Teleworking, Telstra has been running ‘Green Days’ each month to encourage its staff to participate in the initiative. 3. Web Contact Centres – The Telstra Area General Manager for Western NSW travels regularly between the three Telstra offices – Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst. Prior to Webex and room based conferencing, he was travelling 4-5 days per week, which equated to 70,000 kilometres and 19.8 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Due to the deployment of web contact centres, his travel time has been cut by 60 percent – a reduction of 40,000 kilometres and 660 travelling hours. As a result, fuel usage and carbon emissions have also been drastically reduced 4. Fleet and Field Force Management. Telstra has the largest automotive fleet of its kind in Australia and each year covers 160 million kilometres, manages 7,200 field units and completes 25,000 daily installation and repair tasks. In 2005, Telstra installed GPS systems which linked to a job dispatching system. This improved route efficiency and realised an 8 percent fuel saving due to jobs being allocated to the closest technician and a reduction of on-road time and overall wear-and-tear on fleet vehicles. Application to Other Businesses (can the same principles can be applied to an SME)? For the typical SME considering the implementation of GreenIT solutions, exploring the feasibility of each of the RoI tools highlighted above is a worthwhile exercise in order to identify how suitable the tools are for their particular organisation. Some solutions may provide better RoI than others due to the nature of your particular business model, with each option needing to be considered individually on its merits. In addition, it is also important to note that no technology can take away the need for the human element. Even in Telstra’s case, the implementation of these each of these technologies was not 100 percent. Instead, each of the technologies were used to abate the emissions associated with low value activities. High value activities associated with key decision making activities were conducted using more traditional methods. “Sustainability practices are now a critical business issue being driven by a variety of factors including government regulation, corporate social responsibility and increasing economic pressures”. “Through the new Return on Investment (RoI) tools, organisations can estimate the commercial and environmental savings from investing in four specific ICT solutions. They estimate greenhouse gas emission reductions and employee productivity outcomes by assessing the financial costs and savings to the company for each alternative.” Hugh Saddington, General Manager Marketing Strategy and Analytics, Telstra Enterprise and Government www.telstra.com Page 37 9 PCA People Case Study: PCA People – Green Business Certification Program (Business and Technology Innovation) Synopsis PCA People utilised GreenBizCheck’s (http://www.greenbizcheck.com/) certification program to quickly identify the most suitable initiatives it could adopt in order to save money and help the environment. By focusing on quick wins and short-terms initiatives, the initial certification program was completed within eight months. The main areas covered through GreenBizCheck’s certification checklist include energy conservation; water consumption reduction; waste reduction; transportation and travel; purchasing; supply chain sustainability and carbon calculation as well as subsequent carbon offset purchase. Recently, a new product, GreenITCheck, which has a specific focus on an organisation’s ICT footprint, was added to the certification checklist. GreenBizCheck’s practical program helped PCA People quickly implement environmentally responsible business practices. Over an eight month period, PCA People adopted a number of initiatives that provided the following benefits: • Money was saved as a result of the reduction of energy and water usage minimisation. • Attracted like-minded eco-savvy customers. • Attracted and retained staff through the organisation’s commitment to the environment. • Delivered a tax-deductibility for the certification process. The certification process is suitable for a wide range of businesses but is mainly focused on assisting SMEs to get a better understanding on what their current environmental footprint is and how this then rates against a number or predetermined criteria. It is relevant to any organisation, both large or small, because it enables you to conduct an assessment on your organisation’s ‘footprint’ using the comprehensive GreenBizCheck checklist. An organisation is rated on the completion of this checklist and is provided with a certification level based on this rating. There are three distinct levels of certification: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Once you have received the online report you can begin to improve your score by implementing recommended measures. In other words, you can continuously improve your score and your certification level by committing to certain undertakings which are weighted according to the relative environmental impacts of the underlying action. Importantly, the report also provides practical, local suggestions on what you can do to improve your score and certification level. This advice is very useful for SMEs and busy professionals who are time poor. Larger organisations will find the initial checklist and scoring system useful for building a business case for a more detailed assessment or specialised focus. Page 38 9 PCA People Featured Organisations PCA People specialises in professional recruitment in Canberra and the wider ACT region. The organisation has been operating in Canberra for 25 years and is proud of the long and successful relationships that have been developed with a wide range of government and private clients who use the company’s services. It is the goal of PCA People to provide clients and candidates with personal, efficient, relevant and professional recruitment and human resourceServices. GreenBizCheck provides a fast, affordable, world-leading green business certification program scrutinised by universities, environmental agencies, governments and major corporations that is designed to maximise an organisation’s green credentials – with a 100 percent money back guarantee. The Problem to be Addressed The management of PCA People felt that climate change was one of their most urgent issues and were looking for a way to show customers and staff that they were concerned with climate change and that they were making a real and positive contribution to the environment. Understanding that office buildings produce more carbon dioxide than cars, the PCA People team wanted to know what they could d...
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Running head: GREEN IT

Green IT
Student's Name
Course Number-Name of Course
Instructor’s Name
Date

GREEN IT

2
Green IT
Question 1

According to the Australian Information Industry Association, Green Information
Technology (IT) can be defined as all efforts of human beings which are aimed at reducing the
adverse effects of technology use on the environment. Green IT focuses solely on the techniques
of the design, usage, disposal as well as the process of manufacturing the computers and their
associated systems. All the hardware components of a computer are utilized in an
environmentally friendly manner as we seek to enjoy the most of the technology innovation
while having it in mind the safety of the next generation. Therefore, among the primary reasons
why Green IT matters is because there is a need for sustainability and posterity in the usage of
technology. Besides, it leads to efficiency in the utilization of energy at home and in workplaces
because many households and businesses incur excessively high billing costs for their power.
Addressing the issue of Green IT goes hand in hand with the requirement to reduce
carbon footprint. In addition to these benefits of Green IT, it is apparent that companies enjoy
long-lasting devices when they have adopted the policy. The need to have virgin materials for the
production of new devices is reduced through the aspect of reuse, refurbish and recycle. It is
essential for us to note that Information Technology experts should consider the use and
application of Green IT at their workplaces for the reason that it reduces the adverse impacts of
the devices on the health of individuals. Thus, the technique aims at providing an eco-friendly
usage of computers and any associated resource which acts in accordance with the provisions of
the Environmental Protection Agency.

GREEN IT

3
Question 2

Research shows that technology is the most crucial innovation and creativity that has ever
been done by human beings, asserts Lewis and others (2017). While this might seem to be an
overstatement, it is true that most of the activities conducted by human beings revolve around
technology. However, the same technology is adversely affecting our affairs due to carbon
emissions and discarded objects thus making a mess to the environment. The following three
Green Technologies will be useful when ut...


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