CeBIT 2008 organizers add a dash of green

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative, established by many of the world's leading computer vendors will use this year's CeBIT trade show to drive home a green IT message.

The Initiative is led by Dell, EDS, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, as well as utility companies and World Wildlife Fund and will highlight its work at the event to be held in Hannover from 4 to 9 March.

Other supporters of the and include AMD, Delta Electronics, eBay, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Marvell Semiconductor, NEC, Sun and Supermicro.

Ernst Raue, Chairman of Deutsche Messe, which puts on CeBIT said, "CeBIT will provide a single unified platform for discussion of all the key issues relating to Green IT. At a time of rapidly rising energy prices, Green IT offers business users the potential for significant savings in energy costs." CeBIT will feature a "Green IT Village" and Lorie Wigle, president of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative and Intel's representative on the board of directors, said CeBIT would be "an ideal showcase for our work".

The Initiative has set the goal of reducing the power consumption of computers - and therefore their Co2 emissions - by 50 per cent by the year 2010. This is to be achieved primarily through the use of more efficient components and by increasing the use of power management capabilities. The Climate Savers Computing Initiative target seeks to reduce global CO2 emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons per year, equivalent to the annual output of 11 million cars or 10-20 coal-fired power plants.

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Comments (2)

Not a bad start - but still a heap of trouble

by Warren 1/29/2008 12:00:00 AMEfficiency is one thing - but sorry to put a damper on the sales channel - the entire lifecycle environmental cost of electronics is still something the manufacturers aren't big movers on. The simply mind-boggling amount of waste generated at the end of the lifespan of these products is one case in point. Where's the initiative to reduce or reuse or recycle? I know, I know, consumption is king, conservation sucks... responsibility sucks.

Still a bit too much hot air

by Art 1/31/2008 12:00:00 AMWarren from Toronto has hit the obsolete computer on the head with a sledgehammer. Although the reduction of energy demand on hardware will help trim the overall IT carbon footprint, it is dwarfed by the energy used and pollution created in the mining, manufacturing, shipping and ultimately, at the other end, destruction of obsolete equipment when it is discarded or 'recycled'. Until the speed of that obsolescence can be slowed, parts and modules can be updated and/or reused, and energy and material footprints of creation of new product are considerably reduced, the energy demands of running these items will remain but a small part percentage of the consideration. To change this approach, we need a rethinking of the current business models where each participant tries to protect their ability to crank out new product. Never in history, have we lived with a more 'throw away' mentality. Maybe we need to legislate or define within the industry that each move which causes major obsolescence requires a solution to deal with that equipment in a 'environmentally neutral' manner. For example, if Microsoft wishes to introduce a new operating system which will require substantial upgrading of computers, then they need to work out a deal with the hardware industry to actively finance safe and effective methods of recycling that older equipment. This might create some motivation to either build more compatibility for older equipment into new software, or inspire different hardware design to allow for easier and safer recycling of the materials. Now, Microsoft and the hardware manufacturers feed off each other to advance their sales symbiotically, with little, if any concern about environmental factors. Until the business model acknowledges the real birth to death environmental costs of IT equipment, and manufacturers are placed under some financial responsibility in all aspects of their creations, the burden will continue to be born by governments, taxes, the ne