£336m deal means emissions will be halved

The Environment Agency has entered into a new a new, seven-year green IT service with Capgemini worth £336m. It should see the Agency reduce IT carbon emissions by around 50% within the next few years.

Environmental considerations have been the core of the design of the service – from the production and transportation of hardware, to energy savings for each end-user. Further green measures will include reduction, reuse and recycling of hardware, while all disposals will be done under strict Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

It is the first time that such a comprehensive set of green measures has been formally set within a UK IT contract. It is widely accepted that IT usage globally contributes to two percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to that usually attributed to aviation. For these reasons, the Environment Agency has contracted with Capgemini to ensure that this service can be reused by Government and other public sector organisations.

In designing a framework with environmental measures built in from the outset, such as equipment purchase, its delivery and use on the desk, through to its ultimate disposal, the total cost of IT purchase and operation should be reduced. The result is that public sector organisations and business cannot only improve their environmental performance, but also can make long-term cost savings.

More information: www.environment-agency.gov.uk