Computerworld recently announced its list of the top 12 IT departments that are reducing energy consumption and using IT equipment to create energy efficiency.
Topping Computerworld’s list was PricewaterhouseCoopers, which managed to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent in two years. In addition to investing in high-profile projects, such as building an LEED Gold-certified data center, PwC has also made smaller, companywide changes, such as rolling out default two-sided printing practices and promoting videoconferencing rather than in-person meetings.
“We’ve hit a lot of the low-hanging fruit,” said John Regan, director of data center services at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Now it’s about those incremental changes.” According to Computerworld, PricewaterhouseCoopers has managed to reach its sustainability goal two years ahead of schedule.
There are several steps companies are implementing to reduce their carbon footprint. Along with large-scale initiatives, a company can also invest in green technology, such as an energy-saving computer, an energy-efficient lighting system or a mercury-free
DLP projector, to reduce both their energy consumption and expenses.
In addition to individual achievements, some of the top green organizations are using their positions to promote green practices in other companies. For example, the No. 7 top green organization George Washington University challenged other universities to implement green IT initiatives.
