Top Ten Actions for the Information, Communication & Technology Sector

Measure and monitor carbon emissions from operations as well as office space, including the emissions associated with servers and data centres. This will allow you to get a full picture of your emissions profile. Use this to underpin science-based targets to reduce emissions towards net zero.

• UK Government Sustainable ICT
• A Guide: Carbon footprinting for businesses

Assess your heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements and identify opportunities to reduce demand. For example, match your ventilation to demand and don’t let heating and cooling run at the same time.

• Better business guide to energy saving
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning guide
• Effective energy management for business guide

Investigate ways to reduce the emissions associated with data processing. For example, make sure you know where your data is stored. Also check the energy used to run the data centres is 100% renewable. Reuse waste heat in your own heating system or supply it for use in a local district heating network If you are a big energy consumer. Consider buying renewable electricity directly from new renewable projects.

• Climate Group RE100
• Big Clean Switch
• London Heat Map

Use the large power demand linked to data processing to provide grid balancing services and/or aim to reduce power consumption during peak periods.

• Energy procurement and green tariffs
• Balancing services

Rollout ‘dematerialisation’ or ‘virtualisation’ practices, where a physical server is converted into multiple virtual ones within the same asset. Without this, servers only use a small part of their processing power. This process increases use of the physical asset and decreases the need for multiple physical servers. As a result, the embodied carbon and energy consumption linked with multiple physical servers is reduced.

• Virtualisation Essentials

Maximise use of IT hardware assets so that there’s minimum requirement for replacement and generation of electronic waste.

Consider full product lifecycle of IT hardware and equipment. Look for low-energy products from manufacturers consciously working to reduce their carbon emissions. Make sure you have a responsible end-of-life solution in place that allows for the safe reuse and recycling of components.

Ensure IT hardware and equipment are energy efficient and staff are trained on energy efficient practices (for example turning devices off overnight).

• Effective energy management for business guide
• Team Engagement Guide

Reduce emissions linked to travel and encourage active travel – for example, reduce air travel, encourage alternative transportation, encourage ‘telecommuting’.

• Business Travel Guide

Work with clients and customers to develop ICT solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, smart logistics or transferring to e-commerce platforms.

• The Role of ICT in Reducing Carbon Emissions in the UK
• ICT’s potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2030