IT can lower your carbon-footprint

20.04.2012
Traditional IT roles focus on enabling business and enhancing efficiency. But at UK-based real estate consulting and management firm Knight Frank, IT project management skills into achieving the business's strategic goal--a low-carbon emission operation.

Executives at Knight Frank joined the LOOP (Low-carbon Office Operation Program) two years ago: an award and accreditation program organized by WWF Hong Kong to recognize and promote the reduction of carbon emission in office operation among local enterprises.

Noel Yue, Knight Frank's head of IT for greater China, was a key member of the Green Team in their Hong Kong office. "The Green Team involves staff from different departments," said Yue. "But we identified that IT equipment is the major source for carbon emission and energy wastage, so we're in a position to lead many of the initiatives."

While IT executives don't often take a leading role in sustainability initiatives, Claus Mortensen, principle of emerging technology and services at IDC A-Pac, said they should.

"IT equipment and power usage are a major source of carbon emission and energy consumption," he said, "thus IT executives are in the frontline to bring results with minimal effort."