GC: n
CT: These practices include equipment acquisition, use, disposal, and related processes. GAO was asked to (1) determine the extent to which the government has defined policy and guidance on green IT and how selected federal agencies are implementing this policy and guidance, and (2) identify leading green IT practices used by federal agencies, state and local governments, and private-sector organizations. To do this, GAO evaluated federal guidance and policy, as well as guidance and initiatives at selected agencies; identified and characterized efforts in the public and private sectors; and interviewed officials.
S: GAO – http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-638 (last access: 11 December 2014)
N: 1. – green (adj.): Old English grene “green, young, immature, raw,” earlier groeni, from Proto-Germanic *gronja– (cognates: Old Saxon grani, Old Frisian grene, Old Norse grænn, Danish grøn, Dutch groen, Old High German gruoni, German grün), from PIE root *ghre– “grow” (see grass), through sense of “color of living plants.”
– IT (abbr.): The acronym IT commonly stands for information technology. It is a subset of ICT (information and communications technology) that focuses on the use of computers and servers to create, process, transmit, and store digital data.
2. What is green IT (green information technology)?
Green IT (green information technology) is the practice of creating and using environmentally sustainable computing resources.
Green IT aims to minimize the negative effects of IT operations on the environment by designing, manufacturing, operating and disposing of servers, PCs and other computer-related products in an environmentally friendly manner. The motives behind green IT practices include reducing the use of hazardous materials, maximizing energy efficiency during a product’s lifetime, and promoting the biodegradability of unused and outdated products.
The concept of green IT emerged in 1992 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched Energy Star, a voluntary labeling program that identifies products that offer superior energy efficiency. Organizations and consumers who use IT products with the Energy Star label can save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA later also funded development of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool standard and a companion product registry, which IT buyers can use to find “environmentally preferable” technologies.
Other components of green IT include the redesign of data centers to be more energy-efficient and the adoption of other green computing measures in data centers, as well as green data storage, green networking, and the increased use of virtualization and cloud computing technologies.
3. Importance of green IT
Green IT is important for several reasons, including the following three:
- Climate change. Enterprise IT emits a lot of greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change. Businesses must track and reduce their emissions as well as various types of toxic electronic waste that pollute the environment. Green IT approaches can be a useful part of broader climate strategies in companies.
- Compliance. Businesses are increasingly under pressure from governments and the public to reduce their environmental impact. Green IT makes more efficient use of resources, reducing waste and emissions and improving recycling rates. This helps businesses comply with government regulations.
- Competitive advantage. Green IT can be a component of environmental, social and governance initiatives in companies, and many now use ESG reporting to disclose green IT practices. Positive ESG performance is attractive to customers, prospective employees and investors. IT organizations often include ESG practices as purchasing criteria when choosing information and communication technology.
S: 1. Etymonline – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=green&searchmode=none (last access: 11 December 2014); Gigabyte – https://www.gigabyte.com/Glossary/it (last access: 9 May 2025). 2 & 3. TechT – https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/green-IT-green-information-technology (last access: 9 May 2025).
SYN: green information technology
S: TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 9 May 2025); GDT (last access:9 May 2025).
CR: computer science, environment.
