Bull's Green ICT for Higher Education

When it comes to tackling the problem of what institutions can do about man-made climate change, ICT is hugely important, both because of the part it plays in creating harmful pollutants (directly during equipment production, and indirectly from emissions created by the generation of the electricity which it uses), and because of the role it can play in enabling projects that reduces them.

There is mounting pressure on institutions to adopt more sustainable approaches to ICT use. This pressure comes from the government, from regulatory sources and from the public, who are increasingly aware of the environmental cost.

Through its Climate Change Act (2008), the UK government has a target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. ICT use is estimated to account for 2% of carbon emissions worldwide (Climate Group, 2008). The problem is not simply one of ICT use. The extraction and processing of materials for equipment also has a considerable environmental impact. One study (IVF, 2007) found that a European PC and 17-inch LCD monitor contain 20 kilos of materials. The production of these devices involved:

Disposing of 37 kilos of non-hazardous waste, and 0.7 kilos of hazardous waste.
Consuming 3,244 mega joules of energy.
Using 920 litres of process water.
Generating 193 kilos of greenhouse gases.
Releasing considerable quantities of heavy metals, acid rain precursors and other air and water pollutants.

But intelligent use of ICT, such as virtualisation, consolidation, and optimisation; mobile work force; the use of video conferencing, or the development of 'smart' buildings to control heating and lighting; electronic post rooms, and 'Green' print solutions, can greatly reduce carbon emissions. One study (Climate Group Report, 2008) has found that ICT applications could reduce global carbon emissions by 15% in 2020.

There are other indirect benefits from implementing these Green initiatives. Evidence also suggests that the opportunity to work flexibly is valued highly by staff. Research also shows that the introduction of flexible working can result in improved staff morale and retention, along with a 'feel-good' factor in being associated with 'doing something' for the environment.

The Climate Change Act (2008) sets a legally binding target for reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions by 26% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. It also sets up the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), requiring medium to large electricity users, including many universities, to monitor their electricity consumption and purchase carbon credits. There will be penalties for poor performance, and rewards for good performance.

Information about institutions' environmental and social performance now appears increasingly in the public domain. The implementation of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings directive requires institutions to publish information about the energy consumption of their buildings, which makes it possible to compare standalone data centres. There is evidence that staff and students take information about environmental and social performance into account when making decisions about where to work or study, and this information is also of interest to other institutional stakeholders.

So if there are so many benefits for both the institution and the environment by adopting Green ICT, why is it not adopted everywhere, and for the institutions that have started them, why have they not realised the benefits that they were expecting? It is now generally accepted that the following reasons are the main contributors to the lack of a successful Green ICT program: -

The failure to create and implement an institution-wide environmental sustainability policy and strategy.
The departmental split of budgets, resulting in the costs and benefits of implementing initiatives to reduce energy usage falling into separate departments.
Capital funding for a new IT equipment is provided to the IT department on a 'per project basis' - the funding projects may expect to see dedicated hardware provided, rather than a share of a virtualised pooled resource.
The lack of automation.
To focus solely on technology, and not address people, process and procedures.

How can Bull help

Bull has been an advocate of Green ICT for many years, and long before it became fashionable. Under our vision of the 'Bio-Data Centre & Beyond', we recognise that a 'one-size fits all' approach cannot be used to accomplish the aspirations of Government and Institutions alike. The reasons are many, but some are as follows: -

Some institutions or faculties/departments within universities are large paper users while others are not.
Some institutions have distributed buildings and campus, while others are more condensed.
Some institutions depend more upon legacy systems which are hard to replace.
Some institutions have already installed 'point' solutions, and are someway down the road, while others have not started.
Some institutions have not achieved their initial expectations, which were based upon optimistic claims from manufacturers'.

However there is a common thread which runs through all good Green strategies, and with which Bull have incorporated to support our sustainable ICT programs. They are Technology, Process, and People. We have a comprehensive and coordinated range if Green assessment tools, interview techniques, behavioural change, technology, and proof of concept workshops which address all three of these aspects.

We can also support all institutional Green initiatives with our financial packages that are designed specifically with the Higher Education market in mind. It is possible to develop a series of payments where the amounts and timings are matched to the benefits as they are achieved, allowing institutions to implement and realise immediately the benefits derived from implementing a Green and sustainable solution.

Finally, Bull can assist institutions to not only to reduce their carbon emissions, but to advise on preventing the exhaustion of finite resources. We can also help in pushing sustainability initiatives outside the boundary of the University by developing 'check lists' from which future partners and suppliers to the institution should adhere to.