| Topic | Name | Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| About the ICT Environmental Sustainability Group | The Group is being formed under the National Regulations of the Australian Computer Society. Persons with an interest in Information Technology, Telecommunications and Environmental Sustainability can sign up, to offer assistance and receive information about formation of the group. There are no membership fees, but a charge may be made for some events and activities. Guests are welcome to read the materials on the ICT Environmental Sustainability Group web site. The web site is supported by advertising and product sales via the ACS Bookstore. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Join ACS Green ICT Group on LinkedIn | Join the ACS Green ICT Group on LinkedIn. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | What is Environmental Sustainability? | Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain the qualities that are valued in the physical environment. ... From: What is Environmental Sustainability?, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria, 2006 When applied to compters and telecommuncations, ICT Environmental sustainability is commonly referred to as "Green IT" or "Green computing". | |||||||||||||||||||
| Green computing | "Green Computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. Typically, technological systems or computing products that incorporate green computing principles take into account the so-called triple bottom line of economic viability, social responsibility, and environmental impact. This differs somewhat from traditional or standard business practices that focus mainly on the economic viability of a computing solution. These focuses are similar to those of green chemistry; reduction of the use of hazardous materials such as lead at the manufacturing stage, maximized energy efficiency during the product's term of use, and recyclability or biodegradability of both a defunct product and of any factory waste. ..." From: Green Computing, Wikipedia, 00:24, 15 June 2007. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Measures to Support of Environmentally Friendly ICT | The report Measures to Support of Environmentally Friendly ICT was released by Special Minister of State The Hon Senator Eric Abetz on 26 August 2005. It outlines government and ICT industry initiatives to better manage and reduce environmental impacts from the use of ICT, including activities to be undertaken by AGIMO in 2005-2006. The report was prepared in consultation with government and ICT industry stakeholders. CONTENTS: 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS 2 Environmental Purchasing Guide and Checklists 2 3. THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT 4Environmentally friendly procurement performance audit 2 Environmentally friendly procurement networks and online databases 2 Criteria for exporting and importing used electronic equipment 3 ICT and electronics recycling initiative 3 Better practice checklist: environmental strategies for ICT 4 4. PROGRESS OF GOVERNMENT/INDUSTRY INITIATIVES 5ICT investment: environmental ICT module 4 ICT sourcing guide: environmental ICT advice 4 Product stewardship 5 5. PROGRESS OF ICT INDUSTRY INITIATIVES 8National Packaging Covenant 6 National ENERGY STAR Program 6 Energy Allstars 6 Regulating energy efficient power supplies and computers 6 Restrictions of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products 7 Managing televisions at end-of-life 7 Recycle IT! 7 International Environmental Standards Handbook for Small Enterprises 8 6. OVERVIEW OF RESPONSES TO THE DISCUSSION PAPER 9Eco labelling 8 Initiatives of individual ICT firms 8 Mobile phone recycling 8 Options proposed for Australian Government consideration 9 GLOSSARY 11Options proposed for consideration by the ICT Industry 10 Additional suggestions proposed 10 APPENDIX A: RESPONSES TO DISCUSSION PAPER OPTIONS 12 APPENDIX B: SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION PAPER RESPONSES 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Task Group on Emissions Trading Report | After careful consideration, the Task Group has concluded that Australia should not wait until a genuinely global agreement has been negotiated. It believes that there are benefits, which outweigh the costs, in early adoption by Australia of an appropriate emissions constraint. Such action would enhance investment certainty and provide a long-term platform for responding to carbon constraints. Combined with Australia's existing domestic and international work on technology development and cooperation, including the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate, it would position us to contribute further to the development of a truly comprehensive international framework. From: Report of the Task Group on Emissions Trading, The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9803115-5-6 (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Melbourne Council Green Office Building | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ACS Policy on Green ICT | The ACS has undertaken an emissions audit on the amount of carbon dioxide being generated by ICT usage by Australian Businesses. The results of the audit indicate that ICT use by Australian Businesses generated 7.94Mt of carbon dioxide in 2005, equivalent to 1.52% of total national carbon dioxide emissions. The ACS believes that leveraging technological solutions will be the key to reducing our domestic and commercial carbon dioxide emissions. To gain maximum benefits from this Australian ICT professionals and businesses must be part of the vanguard we must be leaders and not followers. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reducing Australian ICT Carbon Emissions | Presentation for the Influence 2007 Forum, Hunter Valley, NSW, 9 September 2007: A study | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Presentations from the ACS Green IT Industry Summit July 2008 | The ACS on behalf of the Queensland ICT Industry launched a National Green IT Industry Special Interest Group and Taskforce 23rd July 2008 at the Brisbane Town Hall. Slides and video from the event are available. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| GREEN IT Delivering Business Sustainability (text) | by ALISON O’FLYNN July 2008 Business Sustainability © Fujitsu Australia Limited 2007 CORPORATE PRESENTATION From Presentations from the ACS Green IT Industry Summit July 2008 Note: This is the text of the presentation. The slides with images and video ae also available: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | IFIP Working Group 5.11 on Computers and Environment | International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) has a Working Group (5.11), on Computers and Environment. | |||||||||||||||||||
| AIIA's Environment Special Interest Group | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ACM Special Interest Group on Computers and Society (SIGCAS) | SIGCAS brings together computer professionals, specialists in other fields, and the public at large to address concerns and raise awareness about the ethical and societal impact of computers. As part of its ongoing efforts to gather and report information, thus stimulating the exchange and dissemination of ideas, SIGCAS publishes a quarterly newsletter and co-sponsors national conferences such as the National Educational Conference, the Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference, the Computers and Quality of Life Symposium, and the Computer Ethics Conference. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Environmental Engineering Society | The Environmental Engineering Society was established in 1994 and is part of Engineers Australia through the Board of Engineering Practice. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green Technology Initiative (UK) | "The Green Technology Initiative has been set up to help UK businesses reduce the carbon footprint of their IT systems in line with the government target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. ..." From: Green Technology Initiative, 24 June 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green ICT at British Computer Society | The British Computer Society established an Ethics Forum last year: www.bcs.org/forums/ethics Ethics Blog - the first one on 'Green IT': http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConBlogEntry.419 Further information: http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.9369 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| The Future of Green IT | Suzanne Kerwan from IBM Australia will be talking on "The Future of Green IT" at the ACS Young IT forum in Sydney 24th July 2008. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Queensland Green IT Industry Special Interest Group and Taskforce | The Queensland ICT Industry launched a National Green IT Industry Special Interest Group and Taskforce with the ACS in Queensland on 23rd July 2008. The ACS also has a Green ICT Group. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting | The Green IT Special Interest Group will have a free event on National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER), 4 September 2008 in Brisbane, with: Bridget Brill, Assistant Secretary, Dept.of Climate Change and Dr Paul Campbell, ICT Industry Workgroup. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Computers and the Environment (book) | Computers and the Environment: Understanding and Managing their impacts, by R. Kuehr, Eric Williams: Other books on ICT and the Enviornment. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Books on ICT Environmental Sustainability | The ACS Bookstore has a range of books available on Books on ICT Environmental Sustainability, Energy Saving, Recycling and Materials Use. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Engineering Sustainable Solutions: Online Course | An introductory educational module on sustainability and engineering for university engineering students. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Recent Research on ICT Environmental Sustainability | A search of recent research reported on ICT Environmental Sustainability. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green IT Awareness Research (UK) | "The Green Technology Initiative is a knowledge forum for the IT community to learn and share experiences on how to reduce the environmental impact of powering and operating IT infrastructure. It undertook the Green IT Awareness Research to understand how aware and active IT managers are in tackling corporate IT carbon footprint today. Over 100 UK IT managers, consultants, network and general managers completed the research during April and May 2007. ..." From: Green IT Awareness Research, Green Technology Initiative, June 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| GreenCIO Awards | CIO magazine in partnership with the CIO Executive Council is proud to announce the GreenCIO Awards. The program celebrates and recognises Australian achievements in sustainable technology usage and corporate social responsibility initiatives. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Energy Efficiency for Data Centers | The USA's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on Enterprise Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency Initiatives. The Green Grid, an IT industry consortium, are developing standards, measurement methods, processes and technologies to lower data center power consumption. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ACS Policy Statement on Green ICT | The ACS believes that leveraging technological solutions will be the key to reducing our domestic and commercial carbon dioxide emissions. To gain maximum benefits from this Australian ICT professionals and businesses must be part of the vanguard we must be leaders and not followers. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Audit of Carbon Emissions resulting from ICT usage by Australian Business | The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the nation?s peak professional body for the ICT sector, today delivered Australia?s first ICT carbon emissions audit, revealing that ICT use by Australian businesses generated 7.94 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide in 2005, which is the close equivalent to the civil aviation and the metal production Industries. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ACS Media release on ICT's Carbon Footprint | Thursday, 16 August 2007 - The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the nation?s peak professional body for the ICT sector, today delivered Australia?s first ICT carbon emissions audit, revealing that ICT use by Australian businesses generated 7.94 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide in 2005, which is the close equivalent to the civil aviation and the metal production Industries. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reducing Standby Power | The One Watt Initiative was launched by the International Energy Agency in 1999, proposing that by 2010 all new appliances would use at most one watt in standby mode. The IEC have issued standard: IEC 62301 Ed. 1.0 Household electrical appliances - Measurement of standby power. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Computer Energy Standard Workshop, 8 February, Sydney | The Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) is holding a free Labeling Workshop for Computers and Monitors, 8 February 2008 in Sydney. The Australian state and federal governments, along with New Zealand, are considering making the US energy star standards mandatory for computer and monitors sold from October 2009. The workshop is free and anyone involved in ICT is welcome. RSVP: Dana Domazet, Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Team, DEWHA, Email: dana.domazet@environment.gov.au | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Government Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme | The Australian Government released its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper today (Wednesday 16 July 2008). There is a Summary, Fact sheets, and media release available, as well as the Full report. The report is, in part, a response to the Garnaut Climate Change Review. The government is inviting submissions on the green paper. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sustainable IT Lecture Series | The Sustainable IT Lecture Series is now available free online from The Natural Edge Project. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| The Personal Computer and Monitors Energy Efficiency Strategy | Report and Recommended Plan of Action Prepared by Tom Worthington FACS HLM This paper has been prepared for the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts.The purpose of this document is to propose a strategy for the Australian ICT industry, in conjunction with government, to improve the energy efficiency of PCs and Monitors in Australia. This strategy proposes voluntary use of the US EPA Energy Star program by the Australian ICT industry and web based industry and consumer education programs on energy efficiency. It is proposed that Australian federal and state governments encourage this voluntary program by government purchasing Energy Star products and by government using the web based information in product selection. While the program would be voluntary, those companies which did not offer Energy Star rated products and did not provide details of them on the web would be excluded from government tenders. It is proposed that industry work with government on consumer and professional education on sustainability, using the Internet as a delivery mechanism. International initiatives on ICT energy efficiency should be encouraged in Australia, along with locally developed programs. A government sponsored free e-learning packagefor universities and professional bodies to train ICT professionals in sustainability is proposed. It is proposed that Australia set a target of a 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ICT by 2020. This will contribute a 1% overall reduction in Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. Measures:
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Energizing Virginia: Efficiency First | The US EPA funded study "Energizing Virginia: Efficiency First" has estimated that Virginia can meet cut 8% of its electricity needs by 2015 with energy efficiency programs. This includes a 49% saving of electricity use from using high-efficiency computers and office equipment. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green ICT E-book | This is an e-book to accompany the online course "Green ICT Strategies" (GICTS) within the Computer Professional Education Program of the Australian Computer Society. These notes are also published as a paperback book: "Green ICT" (Tom Worthington, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-9806201-1-5). However, the students can print their own copy of the e-book, which is likely to be more up to date. Green ICT Strategies by Tom Worthington is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Australia License. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Carbon Neutral Linux Computers, 21 November 2007 | Topic: Small Computers for Reducing the IT Carbon Footprint Speaker: Tom Worthington, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, ANU Computer Science Department and Char of the ACS Green Technology Group Venue: Australian National University, Room N101, Computer Science Building, North Road, CanberraDate: Wednesday 21 November 2007 Time: 5:30pm drinks/nibbles for presentation 6pm-7pm Event Prices: Free. Registration: At the ACS Announcement: http://education.acs.org.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=4728 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Old November 2007 topic: Reducing The IT Sectors Carbon Footprint | Old November topic for talk. New topic is available. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Broadband for Environmental Sustainability, Canberra, 19 September 2007 | Broadband for Environmental Sustainability with Robin Eckermann. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Computers and green architecture, Canberra, 17 October 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Meeting Venue | Canberra Green IT meetings are planned to be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at 5:30pm nibbles and drinks, followed by a talk from 6 to 7pm. The location is Room N101, Computer Science Building, North Road, Australian National University. Meetings will be held in rotation with other special interest groups, including Software Quality. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Open Source Alternative to the iPhone, 15 August, Canberra | Text and slides from the presentation are available. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Open Source Alternative to the iPhone: Text of presentation | Text excerpts from Dr Shayne Flint's August 2007 presentation. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Open Source Alternative to the iPhone: PDF of Presentation | PDF of Presentation: "Open Source Alternative to the iPhone" by Dr Shayne Flint, 15 August 2007. Plain text version is also available. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green ICT with Professor Robin Eckermann and Tom Worthington | Our first EdXN series for 2008, “Green ICT" with Professor Robin Eckermann (and Tom Worthington in WA), touches on one of the hottest topics in ICT right now – just how ICT can help make a positive contribution toward environmental sustainability. Canberra 5 February 2008, Melbourne 26 February 2008, Sydney, 31 March 2008, Brisbane 5 March 2008, Adelaide 26th March, Gold Coast Qld 6th March. Talk by Tom Worthington: Bunbury WA 16th April, Perth 15th April. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green ICT Sustainable Future for Australia 2020 | April 2008 Canberra MeetingTopic: Green ICT Sustainable Future for Australia 2020 Speaker: Tom Worthington, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, ANU Computer Science Department and Char of the ACS Green Technology Group Venue:Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, 16 Mort St, Braddon, Canberra Date: Wednesday 23 April 2008 Time: 12.30pm Event Prices: Free (but registration essential). Registration: At the ACS Events System | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Auditing of Carbon Emissions | Green ICT Special Interest Group Meeting "Auditing of Carbon Emissions" with Rod Gillan, Principal, Ethan Group, in Canberra, 13th August 2008. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green, Rationalised Data Centres at Sun Microsystems, Canberra, 12 August 2008 | Mark Monroe, Director of Sustainable Computing for Sun Microsystems will be talking on Green, Rationalised Data Centres - Practical Learnings from SUN, in Canberra, 12th August 2008. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | US EPA Energy Star System | An ENERGY STAR qualified computer uses 70% less electricity than computers without enabled power management features. The Energy Star specification for computers was last revised 20 October 2006. It covers desktop computers, notebooks, workstations, and small servers as of 20 July 2007. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Climate Savers Computing Initiative | Started by Google and Intel in 2007, the Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a nonprofit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organizations. The Initiative was started in the spirit of WWFs Climate Savers program which has mobilized over a dozen companies since 1999 to cut carbon dioxide emissions, demonstrating that reducing emissions is good business. Our goal is to promote development, deployment and adoption of smart technologies that can both improve the efficiency of a computers power delivery and reduce the energy consumed when the computer is in an inactive state. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thin Linux Workstations to Save the Planet? | ThinLinX is a Queensland based company which sells Thin Client computers. These are used as smart terminals for a Linux server, allowing several cheap terminals to be driven from one PC. Thin clients are not a new idea, but with more Linux software being available and low cost hardware (hundreds rather than thousands of dollars), it is becoming feasible to use for mainstream computing. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| High-efficiency power supplies for home computers and servers | High-efficiency power supplies for home computers and servers, Urs Hoelzle and Bill Weihl, Google Inc. September 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Provisioning for a Warehouse-sized Computer | Power Provisioning for a Warehouse-sized Computer, Xiaobo Fan Wolf-Dietrich Weber Luiz André Barroso, Proceedings of the ACM International Symposium on Computer Architecture, San Diego, CA, June 2007, URL: http://labs.google.com/papers/power_provisioning.pdf | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Low power PCs for China | HP and VIA have announced a business HP Compaq dx2020 workstation for China which uses a low power VIA C7-D processor. Launch New Commercial PC for China. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Canberra Technology City Proposed | ActewAGL proposed a "next generation data centre campus" for Canberra, 2 October 2007. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian energy efficiency standards for personal computers and monitors | The Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) is looking at energy efficiency standards in Australia and NZ, for personal computers and monitors, similar to those on other consumer products. A Steering Committee of stakeholders is being formed. I have been nominated by the ACS. Other organizations interested may want to contact the Equipment Energy Efficiency Team at AGO. What is planned is detailed in the six page "Computers And Monitors The Case For Minimum Energy Performance Standards" | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Analysis of the Potential for Minimum Energy Performance Standards for Computers and Monitors | The Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) has released "Analysis of the Potential for Minimum Energy Performance Standards for Computers and Monitors". They are looking at energy efficiency standards in Australia and NZ, for personal computers and monitors, similar to those on other consumer products. Comments can be made to Richard Collins, Consultant to the Australian Government's Equipment Energy Efficiency Team by Friday 7th December (his contact details are on the cover of the report). | ||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Government Greening ICT Strategy | The UK Government has issued a Greening Government strategy. The UK claims to be the first Government to set out a strategy for reducing the environmental impact of computer systems and has an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2012. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ACS PC Recycling SIG (South Australia) | In 2000 the Australian Computer Society (ACS) launched a Special Interest Group (SIG) to address the dual needs of people without access to computers at present and to extend the life of personal computers by relocating them to individuals and organisations in need. The Adelaide-based PC-Recyclers SIG relies on the generosity of both donors of equipment and their members who work voluntarily in receiving the equipment, reconditioning it, redistributing it and providing short term support to the recipients. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Recycling Near You | Search for local recycling information, includes computers. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green PC | Green PC refurbishes used computers received from government and business organisations and makes them available to those who might not usually be able to afford a new computer system. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dell Recycling | Wondering what to do with your old computer equipment? Dell Recycling offers computer owners a variety of environmentally sound, convenient options for unwanted equipment. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| HP Hardware Recycling | The HP Planet Partners Hardware Return and Recycling Programme in Australia is an initiative to provide HP customers with an easy way to dispose of used computing equipment in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The programme offers to take back end-of-life HP and non-HP computer and printing hardware products such as: Scanners, Fax machines, Personal computers, Servers, Monitors, Handheld devices, Printers, Associated external components such as cable, mouse and keyboards. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lenovo Product recycling programs | For private individuals (consumers), Lenovo offers free recycling and/or environmentally conscious disposal for all Lenovo branded PCs, Notebooks, and Monitors and IBM branded PCs, Notebooks, and Monitors manufactured by Lenovo after May 1, 2005. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| IBM Asset Recovery Solutions | With decades of experience recycling and remarketing used IT equipment, IBM can help: Convert unwanted IT assets with market value into cash; Remove assets without value and protect the environment; Ensure the security of your data. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Life cycle assessment of a personal computer | Hikwama, Baipaki Pakson (2005) Life cycle assessment of a personal computer. , Toowoomba, Australia. Full text available as: PDF - Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or other PDF viewer. Abstract This research project aims to assess the components parts of a PC to determine which
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ACS WA Computer Disposal Day | The Australian Computer Society and the From: Dispose of your old computer correctly next Sunday, NEALE PRIOR,
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|