For instance, said Washburn, cooling a data centre can consume more energy than people think.

But measuring how green you are helps combat the skepticism about green IT strategies, said Washburn. "When IT professionals try to ensure there are financial benefits to go along with it, if you haven't measured where you are today, how are you going to prove you've done a good job reducing costs?"

Research conducted late 2008 by Forrester revealed a "very healthy" adoption of green IT strategies by companies, said Washburn. A little more than 50 per cent already have a plan in place, and 34 per cent are considering it.

Washburn said the reality is all companies, regardless of size or industry, are interested in green IT metrics, but some are more capable of executing on this desire than others. Larger organizations may have more resources to measure how green they are, but those companies with a good synergy between IT and facilities are more likely to deliver on a green strategy, he explained.

Desmarais said executing a green IT Action Plan requires altering the often tense relationship between people and profits, where cutting one affects the other. But adding "planet" to the equation produces a "triple bottom line" where, he said, "change management becomes an opportunity" because positive proof-points can be built into communications, thereby minimizing opposition and making people feel good.