As companies recognize the environmental and economic benefits of green computing, IT departments under under pressure to come up with a green strategy - fast. But, as Forrester Research analyst (and SLM expert-in-residence) Doug Washburn argues, it's vital to do the proper legwork first. Here's the latest on his research findings, along with recommendations for establishing a concrete green baseline to help IT departments set realistic goals and more accurately measure their progress.

Why might green IT be an IT professional's "Emperor with No Clothes"?

Doug: For two reasons:

1. First, technology is not green and never will be. The design, manufacture, operation and disposal of IT equipment has a very large environmental impact. For example: the design of IT equipment requires toxic chemicals known to have hazardous health impacts to humans; as such, the manufacture of IT equipment can put workers and the environment at health risks; in aggregate, the operation of IT equipment requires a tremendous amount of electricity which is linked to global climate change/warming; and given the proliferation of technology in our lives, IT is generating a tremendous amount of waste, unfortunately ending up in landfills.
2. Second, IT shops investing in green IT need to be careful that they are actually achieving the environmental and financial benefits they seeking to achieve. The only way to do this is to create a baseline of where you are today and what’s been accomplished since your green IT investment, but in my experience, which is backed up by our research, very few firms are there.

And why you feel it is imperative for IT organizations to calculate the green IT baseline?

Doug: There is a tremendous amount of awareness for green IT, and I want to help firms move from green IT awareness to green IT action successfully – which means investing their time and dollars wisely to generate tangible business environmental benefits. The best way to achieve this is for firms to calculate their green IT baseline.

In short, the green IT baseline is an annual estimate of energy consumption, CO2 emissions and dollar costs of operating your current IT environment – both inside and outside of the data center. So inside the data center you have IT assets – like servers, storage and network gear – as well as power and cooling assets. Outside of the data center you have assets like PCs, printers, and telephones.

What was left out of the report?

Doug: While Forrester recognizes that green IT extends far beyond reducing IT’s energy consumption, future versions of the green IT baseline will include criteria such as paper waste, water usage, disposal and recycling practices, and beyond. But for now we’re going to focus on reducing energy consumption, which according to our research, is the top motivation for organizations pursuing green IT.

Any recommendations for firms looking to calculate their green IT baseline?

Doug: Absolutely. To successfully move from green IT awareness to action, I recommend that IT professionals:

• Have a conversation with the business about the energy budget. If you do not pay for the energy related costs of IT, but believe green IT can positively impact the bottom line, talk to the business. Refer to the hard data from measuring your green IT baseline and explain that the firm will save ___ (fill in the blank) dollars per year and also reduce annual CO2 emissions by ___ (fill in the blank) pounds. Even if the financial benefits of your greening effort accrue to the facilities group, the company overall is profiting and aligning IT operations with the business.
• Inspire and develop staff by forming a green team. Green IT is a complex topic requiring holistic thinking and creative solutions: exactly the types of skills the IT organization of the future needs to embrace. Forming a green team will foster these skills within IT and help senior management identify staff looking to go beyond their regular call of duty. Given that the second most popular driver for pursuing green IT is to “do the right thing for the environment,” the effort is likely to be well received by your staff.
• Bridge organizational silos, like the IT-facilities gap. As part of your green team, enlist the support of your facilities team to increase the accuracy of your green IT baseline and save you time during the process. For example, your facilities team might be aware of existing energy consumption statistics or metering tools that your IT infrastructure and operations team is unaware of or unsure how to use. To further increase your chances of success, go one step further by involving strategic allies such as VPs from your lines of business, marketing and Corporate Socially Responsibility office who can drive buy-in, promotion, and even funding.

To purchase the Forrester report Is Green IT Your Emperor with No Clothes?, click here.

To download a podcast featuring Doug Washburn and his latest research, click here (free registration required).