Carbon footprint tool from JISC helps universities and colleges tread carefully :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news + job vacancies:

How green is technology? A new tool from JISC is helping universities and colleges calculate just how eco-friendly they are, by estimating the carbon footprint left by their computers.

Institutions can work out their carbon emissions by inputting information about the numbers of computing devices into the SUSTE-IT footprinting tool.

The tool then estimates the overall amount of electricity used, and the related carbon emissions, to help the institutions target areas for energy saving.

Computers, servers, monitors, routers, faxes and even OHP’s are all examined as part of the process.

But there’s no need for time-consuming audits. Where records are limited, users are encouraged to ‘guesstimate’ where necessary or use Sheffield University figures as a rough rule of thumb.

Rob Bristow, JISC’s Green ICT programme manager, said: “I am very pleased to see this tool made available to enable universities and colleges to start understanding the carbon footprint of their technology-related activities. Using this tool is a good first step to making the significant reductions in ICT energy consumption that will be needed to meet the overall carbon reduction targets currently being mooted.”

Developed by Lisa Hopkinson and Peter James of SusteIT and the University of Bradford, the tool is one of the outputs of a JISC study on sustainable technology in further and higher education, which is being highlighted next week at a free event in Edinburgh.

The half-day workshop, which is part of a Scottish Funding Council initiative, will provide guidance on implementing green technology for estate and IT managers.

Delegates will be able to find out more about the footprinting tool, as well as how to cut IT energy bills by 10%, minimise power consumption and take action to reduce their institution’s carbon footprint.

They will also hear from people who have made significant energy savings by successfully using the footprinting tool, with speakers from City College, Norwich; Napier University, University of Edinburgh; Angus College, Arbroath College, and the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges.

Related links to this article:
Find out more about the Suste-IT footprinting tool at this link

Sign up for the event at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh on 24th August at this link

Read about JISC’s study on sustainable technology at this link