GREEN ICT SURVEY

The pervasive nature of ICT today to all industrial and business domains is unquestionable. A

vastness of publications mention that ICT can be put at the core of energy efficiency as it is

considered to have the strength to tackle the problems associated to excessive energy

consumption.

Furthermore, ICT is characterized as the enabler of energy efficiency; ICT professionals are

the ones who can facilitate the process of energy saving in their organizational structures

through research, implementation and adoption of several techniques, practices and tactics.

Moreover, ICT-enabled solutions not only increase efficiency of energy saving but also

decrease the cost associated to the usage of IT equipments. Therefore, it is suggested that

ICT contributions constitute an added value for businesses that can utilize them in order to

gain a positive impact that will be definitely rewarding in a long-term basis.

One of the aims of the current study is to investigate whether the ideas presented above,

reflect the actual picture of Greek business in 2010. The present survey has been conducted

in order to measure IT Managers’ awareness related to environmental issues; specifically

issues that refer to the reduction of energy consumption in an organizational context. The

sample consists of 44 respondents working in companies that operate both in the private

and public sector, as well as NGOs, all of which have big IT departments. A questionnaire

comprising 25 questions was delivered via email and HEPIS’ newsletter to 2,000 IT

Managers. The findings can be summarized as follows:

There is a general positive attitude towards recycling. The majority of respondents

mentioned that their companies engage in recycling in various ways. These are

illustrated in the following charts:

0%

18%

11%

64%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

We throw it away

We store it until we decide what we will do

We donate it to organizations with charitable status

We arrange for it to be collected by an electronics recycling company.

None of the above

When you have to remove an old PC from usage, what procedure does the company follow?

More than half of the respondents stated that when they make a purchase decision,

they take into consideration the IT product’s energy consumption.

Yes64%

No27%

I don't know9%

Do you use recycled printer supplies/ catridges?

We throw it away14%

We return it for a small fee to a company that

recycles printer accessories

30%

We return it to the manufacturer company which has a system of waste collection

40%

None of the above16%

When you have to withdraw an ink cartridge or toner, what procedures does the company follow?

The analysis of data shows that there are systems in place which ensure that office

equipments are turned off at the end of the day.

However, the results of the study indicate that management is not always committed to

engage the workforce in ‘green practices’. This conclusion is generally supported by the

following findings:

Almost half of the IT Managers participating in the survey acknowledged that there

are no government directives/ control systems for energy saving in their

organizations.

Yes66%

No16%

I don't know18%

For many people the product's energy consumption is one of the factors considered when making purchase decisions. Do

you take this into account when making a purchase?

Yes66%

No34%

Is there a system in your company that checks if employees turn off their PCs, printers, monitors and any other

equipments when they leave their desks at the end of the day?

The majority of respondents reported that there are no systems for monitoring

employees’ energy consumption reduction.

When it comes to printing, 55% of the interviewees stated that there are no

restriction policies in place regarding the amount of pages an employee is allowed to

print at a given period of time. Also, double-sided printing is used as a default option

only by 15 out of 44 companies (34%) that participated in the study.

Yes34%

No48%

I don't know18%

Are there government directives and/ or control systems for energy saving in your company?

Yes14%

No68%

I don't know18%

Have you developed any systems for monitoring the employees' energy consumption reduction?

The vast majority of companies under investigation do not have systems that

automatically switch off the lights in rooms that no one uses.

Yes39%

No54%

I don't know7%

Are there any restriction policies on printing?

Yes5%

No90%

I don't know5%

Is there a system that automatically switches off the lights in rooms where no motion is detected for some time?

The sample is evenly distributed when it comes to purchasing decisions and selection of

suppliers.

More specifically, whilst 43% of the sample takes into consideration whether

purchased IT equipments are made of recycled products, 41% does not pay

attention of that criteria.

Furthermore, 34% stated that one of the criteria used for the selection of supplier is

his adherence to ISO 14000 procedures which certify that processes used meet the

requirements of Green practices. However, 39% acknowledged that this is not the

case.

Yes43%

No41%

I don't know16%

When you decide to purchase IT equipment, do you take into consideration whether the product is made of recycled

materials?

Yes34%

No39%

I don't know27%

The procedures of ISO 14000 certify that the process meets the requirements of Green Practices. When you have to

decide about the possible supplier of your products/ services, do you measure if the supplier puts these

procedures in practice?

The above synopsis of findings illustrate that although there is an increased awareness

towards the issue of energy efficiency and energy saving, actual practices within

organizations cannot be characterized as ‘Green practices’. There is a general notion of

sensitization towards the adoption of Green practices in Greek organizational structures, but

the measures that are currently in place need to be supported by the management in a

greater extent. This calls for a more intensive approach towards the implementation of

‘Green practices’ in daily operations within Greek organizations.