University Green IT Guidelines

The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has issued an "ICT Guideline for Green IT" (30 October 2012). This aims to reduce the USQ’s ICT carbon footprint. Measure include consolidating applications and selection of energy efficient equipment. Recycling to avoid eWaste is also discussed.

No figures on existing emissions or ewaste are given and no targets are set, so the USQ's commitment to ICT Sustainability is questionable. The document is the equivalent of 2 A4 pages and at 159 kbytes is not efficiently formatted, thus wasting ICT resources.

Strategic areas of focus for ICT Services include:

• Optimise resource usage and reduce waste and inefficient resource application by ensuring that appropriate technologies are chosen to support business requirements.
• Manage resource consumption and demand through consolidation and virtualisation. Specific initiatives include:
  • Consolidate servers and manage optimised shared virtual infrastructure;
  • Consolidate applications and infrastructure by promoting the use of shared services including cloud computing where appropriate;
  • Build and manage more efficient data centers with a PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) rating of less than 2.0 and approaching 1.0;
  • Consolidate and reduce the number of computer laboratories to ensure optimal utilisation;
  • Consolidate the number of printers in use and replace these with more efficient larger capacity multi-function printing devices;
  • Improve the ratio of desktop computers to printer ratio.
• Encourage electronic collaboration through the use of the learning management system, Microsoft
• SharePoint technologies and other collaboration tools which can improve the collaborative effort and effectiveness of all staff and students;
• Implement new computing infrastructures including increased use of mobile devices or thin clients, as replacements for more intensive, less flexible computing devices.
• Safe and responsible disposal and recycling of ICT equipment and eWaste (Refer also to ICT Procurement Guidelines);
• Consider energy efficiency in technology selection and acquisition. Improvements in sustainable procurement including procurement of green equipment such as Electronic Product Environmental
• Assessment Tool (EPEATTM)1 registered desktop computers, laptops and monitors or purchasing products with a high ENERGY STAR® 2 and EPEATTM rating;
• Centralisation of ICT procurement, deployment and disposal assists with improving asset management, reuse and recycling across the University;
• Provide alternatives to travel by using remote communication technologies.

What can you do as an individual?

• Minimise energy consumption of idle devices, specifically desktop computers and mobile devices (ie turn off computer equipment when not in use).
• Safe disposal and recycling of ICT equipment and eWaste (Refer also to ICT Procurement Guidelines).
• Reduce unnecessary travel by using remote communication technologies. Reduce unnecessary printing.

Green Printing

The University continues to investigate a number of specific strategies to reduce the amount of unnecessary printing including:

• All networked printers and multi-function devices are configured (by default) to print duplex.
• Multi-function devices enable greater use of scanning features rather than printing.
• Meeting agendas and associated material are published online to reduce the requirement to print meeting material. ...

From:  ICT Guideline for Green IT, Executive Director, ICT Services, University of Southern Queensland, 30 October 2012