UNIT: 1

FUNDAMENTALS

Syllabus:

Green IT Fundamentals: Business, IT, and the Environment – Green computing: carbon foot print, scoop
on power – Green IT Strategies: Drivers, Dimensions, and Goals – Environmentally Responsible Business:
Policies, Practices, and Metrics.

INTRODUCTION

An indisputably winning argument behind the implementation of green IT initiatives is based on

business efficiency. This is the same reason why businesses strive to be lean, improve their quality, and
reengineer their processes. Thus, while myriad reasons abound for why an organization should become
green, the one reason that is beyond reproach is that ―a green business is synonymous with an efficient
business.‖ When a reduction in carbon is allied with the economic drivers of a business, the search for
justifying the costs to optimize business processes and virtualized data servers become relatively
straightforward.

Green IT is defined as ― the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using and disposing
of computers, servers and associated subsystems (such as monitors, printers,storage devices, and
networking and communication systems) efficiently and effectively with minimal or no imoact on the
environment.‖

THE ENVIRONMENT TODAY

As mentioned earlier, whether human activity is the cause of change in the environment or not
becomes a background conversation to improving business and achieving environmental outcomes In the
process. It is this business-driven collaborative path that opens opportunity for corporate action.

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Fig.1.1 information technology influences business, society, and environment – lead up to the sustainable
triangle.

Fig shows that the information technology affects business, which in turn, influences the society
and the overall environment in which the business exists. It in business makes use of massive computing
and networking technologies that require large and dedicated data centers. The location of these data centers
and the people who work in them are all socially affected by this use of IT by business. The direct influence
of IT is seen in the massive proliferation of household gadgets, use of computers in schools and hospitals,
the popularity of social networking, and the high level of communications technology.

A carefully constructed strategy for Green IT is a crucial enabler for an organizations overall transition
toward an environmentally sustainable business.

The following are some of the specific ways in which a comprehensive Green IT strategy is beneficial to
an organization:

• Incorporates environmental issues within the business strategies in way that is

complementary to each other.
• Demonstrates the importance of environmental issues as one of the core business issues
rather than merely good to have add on.
• Explores the possibilities of enhanced green performance to discover and develop new
business opportunities.
• Expands the technologies of business intelligence for the purpose of reducing the
organizations carbon foot print.
• Applies the concept of carbon efficiency to business processes leading up to green
business process management and green process reengineering.
• Develops the idea of the carbon footprint of collaborative business processes that cut
across multiple organizations and approaches to improve that collective carbon footprint.
• Proposes a Green enterprise architecture (GEA) that builds on the technologies of web
services and cloud computing.
• Discusses the importance of people, their attitude, and approaches to Green IT that would
bring about a positive change without condemnation.
• Expands on the role of Green HR including the training and positioning of roles and
responsibilities in the green space.

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 • Expands on the vital role of business leadership in bringing about positive green change
across the organization.
• Presents the legal and political aspects the international protocols on greenhouse gases
(GHGs).
• Argues for the use of ISO 14001 family of standard for the environment within the
organization.
• Discusses the metrics and measurements related to carbon data with an aim of
understanding and mitigating the sources of carbon generation within and outside the
organization.
• Incorporates the use of mobile technologies and smart metering for real-time
measurements and use of carbon data.
• Discusses and advises on the use of Carbon Emissions Management Software (CEMS) in
the context of carbon metrics, measurements and reporting.
• Outlines the approach to Green IT audits for reporting and compliance.
• Explores the futuristic issues impacting environmental performance of an organization.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

IT is an inseparable, integral part of modern business. In fact, IT is so closely intertwined with

business processes that is difficult to imagine any modern core business without IT. In addition to being
an integral support to business processes, IT particularly with communications technologies, is a creative
cause for many new and wide-ranging business interactions. The synergy between business and IT implies
that growth in business also implies corresponding growth in IT. This in turn, also implies greater IT based
carbon generation.

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The fig. depict this ongoing interplay between the business and the environment. The IT sheath that
encompasses the business is shown on the left. Any business activity that involves IT and most does impacts
the environment. The carbon impact is shown by an arrow from left to right.

This impact of business activities through IT on the environment has to be understood in three ways: 1.From
the length of time

2. The depth of activity from the length of time,

3. The depth of activity, and the breadth of coverage of the carbon effect.

Following are specific areas of IT systems, processes, architecture, and people that impact the
carbon footprint of an organization. These respective IT areas have a dual influence: the increase in business
activities through these packages increases the carbon foot print of the organization, but the optimization
of the business and backend IT servers and networks has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of the
organization. These IT areas are discussed as follows:

• Software applications and packages: These are the existing ERP/CRM applications
within the organization that need to undergo a major revamp to incorporate greenfactors.
The carbon data form within the organizations are measured through various means such
as smart meters, are inputted directly by users or updated through interfaces from other
systems. Carbon usage data are then fed into the financial type calculators of the
organization to ascertain the corresponding carbon calculations.
• Carbon trading applications: with potential carbon trading on cards, these organizational
applications will also be geared toward performing analytics on the real time data that will
enable the organization to figure out trends in its own carbon performance as well as that
of the market. Carbon reporting tools will play equally significant role in the carbon
economy.
• Green enterprise architectures: This is the ground-up building of new enterprise
architectures that take a fresh look at the enterprise applications from a green perspective.
• Green Infrastructure: This is an area of IT that deals with the buildings, data centers,
vehicles, and other non-movable and movable assets of the organization. The design,
development, operations, and decommissioning of these IT and non-IT infrastructure
assets of the organization needs to be investigated.

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• Governance standards (ITIL and CoBIT): the way in which the governance standards
are implemented is also reflective of the organizations carbon initiative.
• People: the attitude of the end users and the extent to which they are trained and educated
in the efficient use of resources, and the feedback provided to them on their carbon usage
is vital in the creation of green IT culture within and around the organization.
• Dynamic Social Groups: The creation of social groups that reflect their usage and
consumption patterns can lead to not only directed marketing and sales but also help the
organization in its green credentials.
• Wired and Wireless Communication: The way in which various communications
technologies are exploding has connotations from green IT. Thus, the way in which these
wired and wireless networks are configured and deployed will impact the carbon foot print
of the organization.
• Emerging Cloud Technologies: Computing is becoming increasingly decentralized and
having a dedicated data center is no longer the privilege that it used to be. A cloud
essentially enables sharing of large scale storage of data, corresponding computation, and
analysis and reduces overall carbon.
• Green Peripherals: This is the area of printers, copiers, shredders, and similar office
equipment‘s that are associated with IT and that contribute to the overall carbon of the
organization. These peripherals have a substantial impact on the carbon footprint of a
growing organization.
• Renewable Energies: These include alternate sources of clean and green energies such as
solar, wind , and nuclear. These energies will be treated separately in terms of their costs,
and in terms of calculating their carbon contributions.
• Development of efficiency solutions based on IT Systems: These solutions would include
measurement, monitoring, and reporting on energy performance. These solutions would
further monitor and control resource usage and energy consumption.
• Design, Development, and use of power efficiency in IT and Non-IT Hardware: This
would include not only power efficiency in electronic chip designs, but also expansion
into green power grids and management of equipment through software and operating
systems.
• Adherence to regulations and standardization: Includes active participation in creation
of new standards, agreements, and consortium-based protocols.

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 • Recycling and Disposal of IT Hardware: This will impact the procurement as well as
disposal aspect of IT that is associated with efficient design of equipment, as well as ethical
disposal of the same when their use is consummated.

The Three Rs of Green IT

Unwanted computers, monitors and other hardware should not be thrown away as rubbish, as they
will then end up in landfills and cause serious environmental problems. Instead, we should refurbish and
reuse them, or dispose them in environmentally sound ways. Reuse, refurbish and recycle are the three
‗Rs‘ of greening unwanted hardware.

Reuse.

Many organizations and individuals buy new computers for each project or once every 2–3 years.
Instead, we should make use of an older computer if it meets our requirements. Otherwise, we should give
it to someone who could use it in another project or unit. By using hardware for a longer period of time, we
can reduce the total environmental footprint caused by computer manufacturing and disposal.

Refurbish.

We can refurbish and upgrade old computers and servers to meet our new requirements. We can
make an old computer and other IT hardware almost new again by reconditioning and replacing some parts.
Rather than buying a new computer to our specifications, we can also buy refurbished IT hardware in the
market. More enterprises are now open to purchasing refurbished IT hardware, and the market for
refurbished equipment is growing. If these options are unsuitable, we can donate the equipment to charities,
schools or someone in need, or we can trade in our computers.

Recycle.

When we cannot refurbish or otherwise reuse computers, we must dispose of them in

environmentally friendly ways by depositing them with recognized electronic recyclers or electronic waste
(e-waste) collectors. E-waste – discarded computers and electronic goods – is one of the fastest- growing
waste types and poses serious environmental problems. The United Nations Environment Program
estimates that 20–50 million tons of e-waste is generated worldwide each year, and this is increasing. IT
hardware contains toxic materials like lead, chromium, cadmium and mercury. If we bury IT hardware in
landfills, toxic materials can leach harmful chemicals into waterways and the environment. If burned, they
release toxic gases into the air we breathe. So if e-waste is not discarded properly, it can harm the
environment and us. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations aim to reduce the
amount of e-waste going to landfills and increase recovery and recycling rates.

GREEN COMPUTING:

Green computing is the study and practice of designing, manufacturing and using computers,
servers, monitors, printers, storage devices and networking and communications systems efficiently and

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effectively, with zero or minimal impact on the environment. Green IT is also about using IT to support,
assist and leverage other environmental initiatives and to help create green awareness.

Benefits:

Green IT benefits the environment by

✓ Improving energy efficiency.

✓ Lowering GHG emissions.
✓ Using less harmful materials.
✓ Encouraging reuse and recycling.

To foster green IT – The issues to be concerned

• What are the key environmental impacts arising from IT?

• What are the major environmental IT issues that we must address?
• How can we make our IT infrastructure, products, services, operations, applications and practices
environmentally sound?
• What are the regulations or standards with which we need to comply?
• How can IT assist businesses and society at large in their efforts to improve our environmental
sustainability?

Environmental Concerns and Sustainable Development

Numerous scientific studies and reports offer evidence of climate change and its potential harmful
effects. Specifically, the growing accumulation of GHGs is changing the world‘s climate and weather
patterns, creating droughts in some countries and floods in others and pushing global temperatures slowly
higher, posing serious worldwide problems. Global data show that storms, droughts and other weather-
related disasters are growing more severe and frequent.

Global warming can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human induced. In common
usage, however, global warming often refers to warming that can occur due to increased GHG emissions
from human activities which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This phenomenon is called
the greenhouse effect.

The most significant constituents of GHG are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide and
chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases. Electricity is a major source of GHGs as it is generated by burning coal
or oil, which releases CO2 into the atmosphere. Reducing electric power consumption is a key to reducing
CO2 emissions and their impacts on our environment and global warming.

Why Should You Go Green?

The reasons for going green are manifold:

• Increasing energy consumption and energy prices,

• Growing consumer interest in environmentally friendly goods and services,
• Higher expectations by the public on enterprises‘

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 • Environmental responsibilities and emerging stricter regulatory and compliance requirements.

CARBON FOOT PRINT:

A carbon footprint is defined as: The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and
indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). In few
organizations, carbon footprint might mean that everything is tallied—sourcing materials, manufacturing,
distribution, use, disposal, and so forth.

The amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such
as a person's activities or a product's manufacture and transport) during a given period.

For measuring carbon footprint we require to track lot of information such as:

• Facilities
• Operations
• Transportation
• Travel
• Purchases

Measuring Carbon Foot Print:

Step 1: Define the boundary for your carbon footprint:

We need to monitor the carbon footprint process year by year, so it is very important to have some
rules to follow about scope of work to be done. Our primary objective is to reduce the emission of carbon,
if we fail to define the carbon footprint boundary can inhibit comparisons against benchmarks and could
also undermine meaningful monitoring of performance.

There are three types of boundaries:

• Type 1: Operational control: Using this approach every operation of our organization/company
is captured in the carbon footprint. This also includes supply chain if an organization hassufficient
operational control over suppliers.
• Type 2: Financial control: In this approach all financial elements are included. Often this excludes
elements which our company may operate but not financially control and therefore using this
approach can result in a smaller carbon footprint.

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 • Type 3: Equity control: This approach includes all elements that our company owns. If our
company has part ownership then the proportion ownership is used to calculate the relevant carbon
footprint attributable to that company.

Step 2: Decide which emissions will be included under scope:

Scope refers to the emission types captured in a carbon footprint. The scope of an organization‘s
carbon footprint also breaks down into three components.

• Scope 1 emissions: These are direct emissions from assets that are either owned by our company
(i.e. fleet vehicle emissions from the consumption of fuel) or emissions produced through an on-
site activity (i.e., emissions from the burning of natural gas in a company‘s boiler).
• Scope 2 emissions: Scope 2 covers all indirect emissions or more specifically emissions derived
from the production of purchased electricity. Here company hasn‘t actually produced the emissions
associated with electricity generation but due to the consumption of electricity to power lights,
equipment etc. we can say that our organization is indirectly responsible for these emissions.
• Scope 3 emissions: Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions which are not as a result of the
consumption of purchased electricity. This includes a wide array of emission sources including
waste, consumables, staff commute, supply chain emissions, water use etc.

Step 3: Define your carbon footprint period:

A carbon footprint is typically measured across an annual period. When choosing our period for
measurement it is best to think of other reporting cycles which can be used as the set time-frame

Step 4: Use a practical approach to collect annual data:

Once we have defined our boundary and the type of emissions we are going to capture, we‘ll then
need to collect data on all elements that we are going to measure carbon emissions for (i.e. electricity and
gas usage, vehicle mileage, waste volume etc.)

Here are some top tips that can be used:

• Annualize partial data: Data should be for an annual period.

• Use proxies where you don‘t have primary data.
• Use intelligent estimation.

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Step 5: Calculate footprint:

After we have collected all our relevant annual data the task is then relatively simple. You need to
use a carbon footprint calculator or carbon conversion factors to calculate our organizational carbon
footprint.

Need of Carbon Footprint:

Measuring carbon footprint is nothing but it another way to measure overall progress toward
becoming green. It can help with numerous business goals such as:

❖ Helping company to improve its efficiencies.

❖ Reducing costs.
❖ Getting public recognition.
❖ Maintain link in the supply chain.
❖ Good impact on customer.

SCOOP ON POWER:

The issue of power consumption is ongoing as we continue to use new machines. The more power
we use, the more money we spend as well as more fossil fuels the local electrical utility has toburn,
thus causing more greenhouse gases to be generated. So saving the power is saving the money as well as
saving the environment.

Desktops:

The power can cab be effectively used in desktop computer by enabling power management
settings. Normally desktop PC requires 85 watts power, even with the monitor off. If that computer isonly
in use or idling for 40 hours a week instead of a full 168, much more energy costs will be saved annually
from that workstation alone.

Datacenters:

The increase in servers and network infrastructure has caused a sharp hike in the electrical usage
in the datacenter. Power consumption per rack has risen from 1 kW in 2000 to 8 kW in 2006 and is expected
to top 20 kW in 2010. This increase in energy consumption is not only because of more servers but also use
of additional network infrastructure. A normal 24-port Ethernet switch uses 250 watts of power on an
average. If the electricity generated to power this switch comes from a coal-fired plant, 1,780pounds of coal
are needed to produce the 2,190 kW as shown in next figure.

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Consumption:

It is estimated that datacenters consume 1.5 percent of the nation‘s electrical power and this number
will triple again by 2020, as number users of computers are rapidly increasing. If we do not save power
then we need more power plants to satisfy future needs. Which in turn will increase many million metric
tons of carbon dioxide per year. The EPA (US: Environmental Protection Agency) suggested few ways for
being more energy efficient, ranging from properly organizing physical space to reduce cooling loads to
using energy efficient power supplies. We have to increase the use of energy efficient certified power
supply. It always better if all organizations follow Green IT methodology. We can also follow the guidelines
of EPA.

Green IT Strategies:

An important consideration in developing a green IT strategy is the timeframe of its influence. .

For example, if the organization only views ‗IT as Producer‘ of carbon footprint, then simple measures like
switching off monitors and computers when not in use can be brought about immediately. A more strategic
approach to carbon footprint reduction will involve other measures and take a longer timeframe to achieve.

Effective green strategies result from an approach that cuts across all the tiers and silos of an
organization. Such strategies come from individual understanding, leadership, vision, knowledge about
the organization‘s structure and dynamics, awareness of the organization‘s operational nuances and
people‘s (i.e. stakeholders‘) attitude toward change.

GREEN IT DRIVERS :

Businesses need compelling reasons to undertake and implement green IT strategies. Business drivers of
green IT can be grouped into six categories .

(i) Costs (including energy costs and operational costs),

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 (ii) Regulatory and legal,
(iii) Sociocultural and political,
(iv) New market opportunities,
(v) Enlightened self-interest and
(vi) A responsible business eco-system.

Cost Reduction:

Cost reductions provide an excellent driver for an organization to come up with a comprehensive
green IT strategy. As a result of a green initiative, cost reduction could be derived from minimizing energy
consumption (improving energy efficiency), reducing the use of raw materials and equipment, recycling
equipment and waste and optimizing storage and inventory.

Demands from Legal and Regulatory Requirements:

Government rules and regulations comprise a major driver for many green enterprise
transformation programmes. The relative importance given to the regulatory factor, as compared with other
factors such as organization self-initiation, customer demand and pressure from society, are the highest –
70% as reported by Regulatory acts such as National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER)) and the
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) require organizations to mandatorily report their carbon
emissions if they are above a certain threshold level.

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Sociocultural and Political Pressure:

Sociocultural and political pressure becomes major driving forces when an organization‘s society
recognizes the environment as of significant value and is interested in protecting it. Such acceptance of the
environment‘s importance by the society brings pressure on the organization to change.

Enlightened Self-Interest:

Self-interest comes into play when an organization, on its own accord, realizes the need to be and
the benefits of being, environmentally responsible and creates or adopts a green strategy. It may include a
range of interests including the organization‘s desire to undertake a genuine common good, the need of
business leadership to achieve personal satisfaction or maintain or raise employee morale or simply the
decision makers‘ understanding that costs can be reduced and customers more satisfied with a self-interest
approach that also helps the environment.

Collaborative Business Ecosystem:

If a large organization that has myriad different associations with its many collaborating smaller
sized organizations changes its direction and priorities, then those collaborating organizations also have to
change their priorities accordingly. When such a large organization embarks on environmentally
sustainability programmes in a major way encompassing its supply chain, an entire ecosystem made up of
the business partners, suppliers and customers and internal users organizations, together with the industry
and the corresponding business consortiums in which the organization exists, is affected. These various
stakeholders and associations are invariably pushed into implementing environmentally responsible
initiatives and strategies.

New Market Opportunities:

Global environmental awareness, corresponding legislations and sociocultural and political

pressure on businesses have created opportunities for new markets that did exist or were not even envisaged
a few years ago. For instance, these new markets can create and provide products and services that assist
other organizations in achieving their green initiatives and goals. Thus, we are talking about not only
‗businesses that are green‘ but also ‗green as a business offering‘.

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GREEN IT BUSINESS DIMENSIONS:

Once the drivers that provide the impetus to the business for its green initiatives are identified and
documented, they lead to discussion on the areas of business that are likely to be affected by the changes.
The changes resulting from green IT initiatives transform the organization and, therefore, understanding
them is an integral part of a green IT strategy. An organization changes or transforms along four different
lines or dimensions.

• Economy
• Technical
• Process
• People

Economy:

Economic considerations are one of the key factors in an organization‘s decision to implement
environmental policies and systems. The costs associated with green transformations and the returns on
those costs are the first ones to appear in the minds of leaders and those in charge of the green
transformation. Therefore, this is a primary dimension along which green transformation occurs in an
organization. These include the cost–benefit analysis and a financial return on investment (ROI) analysis.
Economic growth in the current economy is usually associated with increase in carbon emissions.

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Technology:

Technology we mean an organization‘s hardware, network infrastructure, software and

applications. This is also the more ‗popular‘ and visible aspect of green IT. Switching off monitors,
virtualizing servers and eschewing printing on physical paper are the initial, visible aspects of change that
occur along this dimension. This is then followed by long-term strategic change in the way the data centre
is organized and operated. Emerging information technologies, such as service orientation, software as a
service (SaaS) and cloud computing, are creatively used in this dimension to reduce an entire organization‘s
carbon emissions.

Processes:

The process dimension of an organization deals with ‗how‘ things are done within an organization.
Business process reengineering is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to
achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance such as cost, quality,
service and speed. The process dimension of an organization is perhaps the most visible one, and it is often
used to judge the level of ecological responsibility for an organization‘s green ICT. This is because the
process dimension has immediate and measurable effects on a business operation‘s carbon footprint. It also
has effects on clients, vendors and business partners in the collaboration.

People:

The most difficult and perhaps most complex dimension of a green enterprise transformation is
people. Whilst the people aspect of an organization‘s behavior has been studied to great depths, in this
discussion the focus is on the attitudes of individuals and the sociocultural setup in which they operate in
the context of the environment. An enterprise-wide green strategy is best driven from the top of the
organization in order to ensure its success. Leadership within this people aspect, such as that by senior
directors and chief officers, is a deciding factor in an environmental initiative. The involvement of senior
management in bringing about a change in the people dimension is vital – and it has to be done at an early
stage of a green initiative, though such involvement from senior leadership requires a substantial
commitment in terms of time, money and other resources. Making the key stakeholders fully aware of the
importance of the green initiative for the organization and, through them, promoting the initiative to bring
about fundamental changes in attitudes are keys to success.

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GREEN IT METRICES AND MEASUREMENTS:

Metrics for green IT performance of an organization can be based internal ROI goals and/or on
legal reporting requirements. Whilst the ISO 14000 series of standards can provide an excellent starting
point for the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for green IT, CEMS can be used to automate, measure and
report on carbon emissions and the carbon footprint.

Following are some typical KPIs that must be embedded in an organization that is undertaking green
strategies.

• Economic outcome.

Reduce energy consumption by 10% of its current level per year for three years; increase green
services (e.g. the addition of one detailed insurance service dedicated to green).

• Technical.

Use virtualized data servers for all warehoused data; use smart meters to record, repost and control
emissions.

• Process.

Optimize supply chain management to reduce or reengineer individual processes.

• People.

Train people for green IT at all levels. Telecommute once a week to reduce emissions.

Carbon metrics coverage:

A carbon intensity (or emissions intensity) is a ratio that reflects the amount of GHG
emissions per unit of energy delivered. This metric reflects the operational efficiency and
emissions of production processes related to the energy that will be delivered to consumers, and
as such is an important tool in monitoring and assessing the environmental performanceof
integrated energy companies and their future strategies.

Carbon intensity metric quantifies the amount of CO2 equivalent emissions per unit of energy
supplied (gCO2e/MJ) to the end consumer. Non energy products such as lubricants and
chemicals and corresponding emissions are not included in this metric.

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Green IT Measurement Challenges:

In the past the focus was on computing efficiency and cost associated to IT equipment‘s
and infrastructure services were considered low cost and available. Now infrastructure is
becoming the bottleneck in IT environments and the reason for this shift is due to growing
computing needs, energy cost and global warming. This shift is a great challenge for IT industry.
Therefore now researchers are focusing on the cooling system, power and data center space.
following are few prominent challenges that Green computing is facing today:

1. Equipment power density / Power and cooling capacities;

2. Increase in energy requirements for Data Centers and growing energy cost;

3. Control on increasing requirements of heat removing equipment, which increases because of increase
in total power consumption by IT equipment‘s;

4. Equipment Life cycle management – Cradle to Grave; and

5. Disposal of Electronic Wastes.

Framework for Green IT Metrics:

Green Economy Indicators are key evidence-based instruments which facilitate the evaluation of Green
Economy policies by:

(a) Identifying priority issues;

(b) Formulating and assessing Green Economy policy options; and

(c) Evaluating the performance of policy implementation.

Measuring Carbon Footprint of your Organization:

Carbon footprint is all about carbon (and other GHG) emissions. It isn‘t a measure of use of natural
resources, or the waste a company produces – though those might affect the calculation‘s results. The
real win would be achieving reductions in your absolute total footprint, which means getting total
emissions down even as the business grows. The next best thing is finding ways to reduce emissions relative
to output, so bringing down emissions per product, per employee, or per some unit of revenue.

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Measuring Operational Cost in your Organization:

If properly followed Green Computing practices can save millions of rupees of an organization.
Ecologically responsible practices must be adopted. For green computing, initial investment will be more,
but eventually not only we will save money but also help to sustain the environment. Many organizations
hesitate for going green because of initial cost. Unless equipment is planned to be replaced or there‘s a
datacenter design in the works, most businesses aren‘t likely to replace their equipment just for the sakeof
duty to society. But when the cost of power starts taking a bigger and bigger bite out of the IT budget,
organizations start really looking at green computing nowadays.

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS:

One of the best ways to make your business more environmentally-friendly is to practice green
procurement. This involves sourcing goods and services that are produced and supplied in a sustainable
fashion. Sourcing from local suppliers rather than those located far away is a good place to start.

• Are manufactured in a sustainable fashion

• Do not contain toxic materials or ozone-depleting substances
• Can be recycled and/or are produced from recycled materials
• Are made from renewable materials
• Do not make use of excessive packaging
• Are designed to be repairable and not throwaway

Policies in ERBs:

A green policy usually contains the following components:

• A declaration of your company‘s commitment to the environment.

• A concise description of what your company is trying to achieve with your environmental goals and
how you will accomplish your goals.

• A commitment to prevent pollution and to continuously improve environmental performance.

• A commitment to keeping employees and community members safe.

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 • A statement of the strategies and actions your business is willing to undertake to meet its
commitments.

Practices in ERBs:

Environmental Practices are defined as those actions that seek to reduce the negative environmental
impact caused by activities and processes through changes and improvements in the organisation and
development of actions. The usefulness of the Good Practices is well proven and lies in its low cost and
simplicity of implementation, as well as the fast results obtained.

The implementation of Good Environmental Practices is assumed by the Foundation and

understood as a whole, committing itself to continuous improvement in its application. From Social
Promotion, this Guide and its implementation are considered as a tool to improve the transparency,
competitiveness and integral development of the beneficiaries of the activities.

This Guide has been developed in six lines of action, as follows:

• Materials.

• Energy.

• Water.

• Waste.

• Transportation.

• Communications.

Lean Impact on Green:

Lean Manufacturing plays an important role in supporting companies to overcome environmental,

social and economic impacts attributed to the production processes, which has been a major concern for the
industrial sector lately. Lean Manufacturing is focused on the reduction of waste and improvement of
operational efficiency using a set of different tools to get these objectives. Many of these tools can be
successfully used in isolation, which makes it much easier to get started, but on the other hand, the benefits
will propagate as more tools are used, as they do support and reinforce each other. The

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combination of lean and green initiatives has been contributing to seek alternatives to support companies
balance efficiency gains and environmental performance in their industrial processes. The lean philosophy
also intends to reduce wastes in all the organizations areas, thus the alignment with the environmental
paradigm seems normal.

Environmental areas covered:

Policies and their practices can be viewed from three different angles—the breadth of coverage, the depth
at which they operate, and the length of time they are influential within the organization.

Breadth of Environmental Policies (Areas Covered):

What is highlighted is the need to consider the overall organization and its entire breadth in terms
of Green IT policy development and implementation. Such consideration will result in appropriatecreation
of g green p programs, c corresponding use of a analyzing, modeling, and simulation tools for the study of
environmental risk management and improved accuracy of measurements. The broader is the coverage of
green policies, the better are the organization‘s chances at success.

Depth of Environmental policies (Intensity of Coverage):

A deep practice of policies in large organizations is usually well supported by tools for eco
management, operating on dedicated systems platforms resulting in not only support, but also
measurements and reporting of carbon performance for single and collective business processes. Depth of
coverage for each process includes detailed description, mapping, responsibilities, and execution of roles,

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deliverables, activities, and tasks within the organization. The depth of coverage of green policies also
facilitates audits and feedback to the same process in greater detail.

Length of Environmental Policies (Duration of Coverage):

Green policy formulations require the policy makers to have the ability to look at the future
strategies that make predictions regarding the future of the firm. When incorporating time in policies, it
becomes important to consider the longevity of the firm itself, together with the longevity of the Green IT
initiative. A Green IT can transform the organization, but maintaining that transformed green state over a
period of time is only given due importance when the ―length‖ is considered.

GREEN PRACTICE: A BALANCING ACT

Balancing act, in practice, also requires consideration of the IT versus non-IT assets of the
organization. In developing the green policies and eventually practicing green in a holistic way, the
organization needs to consider Green IT from both IT and non-IT viewpoint. While the overall influence
of IT on the greening effort will vary depending on the type and size of the organization, still understanding
this mix of IT and non-IT assets is important for both policy development and eventual practice.

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Mobility and Environment:

Mobility has a significant role to play in the reduction of carbon emissions as it has the potential to
offer location independence, that is, reduce the need to t ravel, to most business processes. Some of the
advantages and challenges in the use of mobile technologies in business from the point of view of
environmental sustainability are noted in this discussion.

Advantages to environment:

Mobility offers location independence and personalization, both of which are characteristics that
can be used to optimize business processes and reduce carbon. Therefore, mobile technologies—including
devices, networks, and contents—have a significant role to play in the global carbon reduction effort.

Challenges to Environment:

There are some interesting and unique challenges of mobility when it deals with the environment.
Consider, for example, how mobility enables virtual collaborations between business and individuals.
These virtual collaborations, especially between businesses, can introduce management challenges in
implementing environmentally responsible strategies.

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Relating Environmental Business Policies to Goals:

The importance of policies and their practice is that they enable an organization to achieve its
environmental goals. Therefore, policies need to reflect the green strategies of the organization in this
regards. Policies, in practice, also need to provide help and guidance in terms of prioritizing the actions to
be undertaken by the organization. The following are some of the green policies which enable an
organization to prioritize its environmental goals.

• Energy Consumption
• Energy Efficiency
• Operational Costs
• Operational Reputation
• Environmental Performance
• Green Sustainability
• Increased Revenues

Renewable Energy Resources:

Apart from discussing the policies and practices associated with the organization in its current state,
it is also worth considering the impact of totally different types of energy as is currently consumed within
an organization. For example, if instead of oil or gas, the energy was generated from coal. Renewable
energy certificates are one way for organizations to support green energy. Impact of renewable sources of
energies is usually felt through Government regulatory standards. Government devises regulatory standards
which controls and support the energy providers. Energy providers implement those standards and as a
result, organizations have the opportunity to source from one or more energy providers.

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Mind Map for the Role of a Chief Green Officer (CGO):

Chief Green Officer (CGO) or the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is the most senior person in
the organization responsible for green strategies. He/she is responsible for the development and
maintenance for the green policies. The green policy should have the ability to justify the Return of
Investment (ROI). An understanding of this mind map of a CGO can be helpful in setting and directing the
green enterprise transformation of an organization.

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 UNIT – 1

FUNDAMENTALS

PART – A (2 MARKS)

1. What is Green Computing?

The study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using and disposing of computing devices,
servers and associated subsystems (such as monitors, printers, or storage devices)efficiently and effectively
with minimal or no impact on the environment.

2. Define Green IT?

• Green IT is the study of using computing resources effectively. It includes,

• Environmental sustainability
• Energy Efficiency
• Cost of Ownership (making, disposal)

3. What is ERBS?

ERBS (Environmentally Responsible Business Strategies). Focus on to achieve a green enterprise

and meet the needs of various stake holders.

4. Define Carbon Foot Print?

A Carbon Foot Print is the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by
something during a given period.

5. What is the information required for measuring the carbon foot print?

• Facilities
• Operations
• Transportation
• Travel
• Purchases

6. List out the need for Carbon Footprint?

• Helping company to improve its efficiencies.

• Reducing Costs.
• Getting public Recognition.
• Maintain link in the supply chain.
• Good impact on customer.

7. What are the categories of Green IT Drivers?

I. Costs

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 II. Regulatory and legal
III. Sociocultural and Political
IV. New market Opportunities
V. Enlightened self-interest
VI. A responsible business eco-system

8. What are the business dimensions of Green IT?

• Economy
• Technical
• Process
• People

9. What is the purpose of an organization to go green?

• Increasing energy consumption

• Growing consumer interest in environmentally friendly goods and services.
• Higher expectations by the public on enterprises.
• Environmental responsibilities and emerging stricter regulatory and compliance requirements.

10. What are the three Rs of Green IT?

o Reuse
o Refurbish
o Recycle

11. List out the most significant constituents of GHG’s?

Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases.

12. What are the four dimensions of green Computing Strategies?

o Economic
o People
o Process
o Technology

13. What is Responsible Business Ecosystem (RBE)?

It is a large green organization which focuses on the environment; it consists of three major areas:

o Green processes
o Green data centers
o Green consortiums.

14. List some of the objectives of green business?

o Synergy between core business objectives and green objectives.

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 o Identify growth potential.
o Development of green HR

15. Define Green Governance?

Green governance combines EI with lean for data creation and maintenance. It measures the
carbon emission of business.

16. List the situations in which the policies can be made?

I. External pressure (Government)

II. Internal Pressure (Inside Organization)

External

• Government policies
• Society pressure

Internal

• Internal energy consumption.

• Increased carbon footprint.

17. List the 5M’s of Carbon Metrics?

• Measuring
• Monitoring
• Managing
• Mitigating
• Monetizing

18. List some of the green values in practice?

• Computing power management

• Use blank screen saver
• Limited printing
• Reuse and recycle of equipment
• Single machine to worker.

19. What is Green Sustainable Policy?

It is defined as a policy that incorporates a ―green‖ factor that helps business to sustain over a
longer period of time.

20. What are the types of Emissions?

• Scope 1 (direct emission)

• Scope 2 (indirect usage of emissions)

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 • Scope 3 (organization supply chain).

21. List the steps in developing an ERBS?

• Green business objectives

• Strategy descriptions
• Policy based pre conditions
• Resource requirements
• Transformation plans.

22. Mention some renewable energy sources to be encorporated with green policies?

• Nuclear
• Thermal
• Wind
• Solar
• Biomass

23. Define Carbon Metrics?

• Measurements eventually provide benchmark at industry levels and vital comparison

statistics.
• Measure through sensors, platforms, inventory and inference methods.

24. List the measures of balanced score card?

• Financial measures.
• Customer measures.
• Internal business processes.
• Learning and growth.

25. What is the role of Chief Green Officer (CGO)?

CGO is the most senior person in the organization responsible for green strategies. He/she is
responsible for the development and maintenance of green policies.

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 UNIT – 1

FUNDAMENTALS

PART – B (16 MARKS)

1. Discuss in detail about Green IT fundamentals?

2. Explain in detail about Green IT business and environment ?

3. Discuss in detail about Carbon Footprint?

4. Write about carbon emissions in IT?

5. Write in detail about Green IT strategies?

6. Explain about Green IT Dimensions, Drivers, and Goals?

7. Explain in detail about Environmentally Responsible Business?

8. Explain in detail about policies, practices, and metrics of ERBS?

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