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The Smart Techie was renamed Siliconindia India Edition starting Feb 2012 to continue the nearly two decade track record of excellence of our US edition.

March - 2012 - issue > Technology

'Green IT' and Sustainability Global Scenario and the Indian Story

Himanshu Joshi
Professor-International Management Institute
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Himanshu Joshi
The last decade is a witness to the emergence of Green IT as one of the most globally adopted practices. This surge can perhaps be attributed to the fact that our consumption of energy resources is by far exceeding the produce of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy and this crying need to turn energy efficient is now resonating loud across all quarters, demanding action. With the term ‘Green’ now fast turning into a synonym for a responsible way of operating, organizations are keen on adopting it in their policies and operating procedures and branding themselves as ‘Green’. While there are no doubts on the degree of environmental consciousness globally, what remains to be assessed is that whether the Green IT concept in India has managed to earn some serious roots and champions for the cause within the organizations or is it just lingering at a superficial level.

Today’s information systems are a complicated mix of people, processes, hardware, software, network and policies and one reason for the unprecedented data explosion is the emergence of new business models. There is an increased thrust by governments and organizations to go the green way. This is evident from the number of organizations emphasizing on terms like green IT, green policies, renewable and clean energy, sustainability etc. As a matter of fact, a number of them also highlight their contribution to a sustainable environment in the form of operational and energy gains. The concept which originated from developed nations is slowly becoming popular among developing economies, including India. A large number of companies have initiated Green IT as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy.

There are many success stories about the business benefits derived from Green IT implementation. But whether Green IT is a top priority for Indian organizations or it remains a good to have initiative is yet to be seen.

What constitutes Green IT?

While the word ‘Green’ carries a more expansive connotation, the term 'Green IT' encompasses all activities related to IT deployment and usage in a way that minimizes the impact on the environment. In other words, Green IT conceptually aims to minimize resource consumption, typically power which is generated from fossil fuels. Low resource consumption not only reduces carbon emission but also helps an organization increase its bottom line revenues. Green IT practices involve developing strategies and solutions which are environment friendly and economical to the organization.


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