Cutting the carbon footprint of ITHow to deliver measurable savings – an IBM study with the support of Defra

Contents

Section 1 – Foreword Page 3

Assessing and reducing carbon footprint and financial

waste – a fresh, best-practice, fact-based approach.

Section 2 – A strategy for change Page 6

The Green Transformational Programme and business

value; changing the way we work; people, processes,

and infrastructure.

Section 3 – Measuring and improving the carbon footprint Page 12

Saving power, saving money; measuring output and

the faceplate trap; doing the sums – a clear approach

to power measurement and prediction; architectural

patterns and energy efficiency ratings; the IT landscape –

availability, survivability, and compliance; financial

considerations – carbon charge-back; upstream,

downstream, and recycling.

Section 4 – And from here… Page 21

Protecting assets through environmental, social and

ethical risk assessment; good behaviour is good business.

�

Experience shows that wasted energy

can cost tens of millions of pounds:

environmental awareness goes with

a keen eye for the bottom line.

Combined with the financial impact

of energy efficiency, in the current

political climate, the responsible use

of energy has serious implications for

an organisation’s public image.

This paper explores how an

organisation can sustainably reduce

its carbon footprint and its costs at the

same time. It is a practical study,

drawn from real examples and actual

observations, and is amongst the

most detailed investigation into the

management of workplace IT systems

ever undertaken. It is presented in

order that public sector organisations

and businesses alike can share and

use this best-practice, fact-based

method to assess and reduce both

carbon footprint and financial waste.

IBM’s UK and Ireland Technical

Consultancy Group (TCG) would

like to thank the Department for

Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

(Defra) for their support, insights

and in providing access to data

and Defra sites.

Section 1 – Foreword

Energy efficiency is an increasingly important part of business efficiency.

One of the biggest challenges facing a modern organisation is how to

leverage the immense benefits of effective IT systems while keeping their

energy consumption to a minimum.

The IBM team developed its method

for determining the carbon footprint by

studying information, computer, and

workplace technologies. It analysed

in detail the way work patterns were

affected by IT, to produce a detailed

and effective solution which can readily

be applied to both public and private

sector organisations.

The search for efficiency

Ecological responsibility and business

responsibility are two sides of the same

coin. Both reject waste and profligacy;

both embrace the notion of responsible

stewardship and investment of assets

in order to reap greater returns in the

long term, and whilst there’s no

question that environmental and

economic concerns frequently clash,

innovation can advance both agendas

at the same time.

Businesses are already looking at

ways to cut waste in their data centres,

but there has been little examination

of the electrical consumption and

carbon footprint of the distributed IT

systems and services environment,

and how organisations could bring

about sustainable improvements.

“I believe that the CIO of any organisation has a duty

to ensure that distributed IT systems and services

are as energy efficient as possible. This is never easy. Based on an in-depth study,

the tools and methods this paper proposes have

the potential to help by providing CIOs with a good

starting point to develop and deliver an effective

energy efficiency strategy.”

Chris Chant, CIO, Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

However, this is where organisations

with large distributed infrastructures

(geographically dispersed offices for

fixed location workers or a base for

a mobile workforce) need to look for

ways to reduce their carbon emissions

– not just in offices, but wherever

people work. For a modern workforce,

this can mean at home, in hotels, or

even in the car or on a train – wherever

workplace equipment draws energy

or uses resources.

In this paper, we go beyond traditional

IT items such as PC, data server and

file and printer server to consider

additional items such as photo

copiers, fax machines, power packs

for mobile devices, air conditioning

units and communications equipment

such as hubs and routers. Many

of these devices use more energy

than people expect, and use it in

unexpected ways – it’s not just how

long they are switched on, but the

way in which people use them.

Establishing how energy-hungry

they are, and how their appetite can

be reduced without affecting their

performance, makes both ecological

and business sense. In wasting energy

inefficient equipment and inefficient

ways of working are wasting money –

significant amounts of it.

Leading the way…

Seeking a more energy efficient

workplace is a win-win proposition

that can reduce costs and reduce

environmental damage as well.

Some of the most innovative and

promising ideas for reducing waste

and managing natural resources come

from the business community. This

paper suggests how those good

ideas can be applied in practice.

By considering the environmental

impact of their endeavours and

adopting clean technologies and

environmentally sound practices,

businesses can save money and

reduce their impact on the planet.

Drivers for this new behaviour include:

• Government climate change

directives – the Climate Change

Bill, for example, aims to set in law

a target to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions by 60% by 2050

• Consumers increasingly desire

‘green’ products

• Organisations’ corporate social

responsibility objectives

• New opportunities for improved

resource management, financial

savings and other indirect paybacks

– for example, IBM has saved more

than $100 million since 1998 by

conserving energy.

“There is a clear business necessity to reduce carbon

emissions and through technology and our ability

to innovate, we can achieve this. I am excited

by this work which presents organisations with a practical

opportunity to help reduce waste and to extend today’s

finite energy resources.”

Larry Hirst, General Manager, IBM (UK)

�

Companies now compete in an

increasingly ‘green’ market,

and therefore need to position

themselves appropriately.

These issues are important today,

and they will be still more important

tomorrow. Energy prices are rising,

and clients are reporting that energy

supplies are now under stress.

Carbon taxes are on the political

agenda: businesses increasingly

need to demonstrate environmental

responsibility, both to fulfil their legal

and social obligations, and to ‘enhance

the brand’ and corporate image. CEOs

are concerned about corporate image,

CFOs about the cost of energy, and

CIOs about the environmental impact

of IT systems.

These are not just matters for the

traditional power hungry manufacturing

industries. They are important for all

organisations running significant

IT infrastructures.

Through this study, we have

developed a programme for change

– a way in which organisations can

meet these challenges. In Section 2,

we outline a strategy by which

carbon impact and financial waste

can be reduced, and in Section 3

we set out a method of determining

the actual carbon footprint of the

distributed office environment, and

measuring the actual savings made

through various reduction methods.

A few figures

• Combined emissions from

PCs, servers, cooling, local

area networks, telephones

and mobiles total 2% of

global carbon emissions –

the same as aviation

(Source: Gartner)

• One tonne of CO2 = 509 cubic

metres, enough gas to fill almost

six double decker buses

• The UK’s annual 559 million

tonnes output of CO2 would

cover the City of London to a

depth of nearly 2.5 kilometres

• For every person in the UK

9.� tonnes of CO2 is produced

annually – enough to fill

nearly two Olympic sized

swimming pools.

(Source: Energy Saving Trust)

5

6

So what is the strategy for achieving

environmental change?

How can an organisation start the

process of green transformation and

achieve the resulting benefits of

efficiency and cost savings? What

is the method that a project team

could follow? The study team has

developed a Green Transformational

Programme (GTP) which is the first

step in the strategy for change.

It shows how environmental

awareness can be converted

into real business value.

At the start of the programme,

members of the organisation’s

nominated leadership team –

including those tasked with Corporate

Social Responsibility – gather in a

workshop to identify and prioritise

areas where improvements and

innovations can be made.

Section 2 – A strategy for change

The diagram on page 7 shows 17

‘green’ components which might be

considered in a typical organisation.

Other organisations will have different

examples, but a similar component

map structure will help to identify the

individual components so that the

leadership team can focus on them

as the most profitable areas to achieve

carbon improvements.

The expertise, information and

techniques described later in this

paper will help to inform the discussion.

Decisions on the strategic importance

and performance of the various

components however, come from the

workshop participants themselves.

Since the entire IT leadership

participates, the conclusions they

reach will have wide acceptance

within the organisation.

By considering each individual

business area – the green areas on

the map – and comparing the amount

of energy committed to it with the

benefit it provides to the organisation’s

operations, it will be possible to

highlight areas where energy savings

could be made to the greatest

possible advantage.

The potential solutions that the team

identify can then be prioritised,

analysed for impact, and integrated

into an overall action plan. By the end

of the workshop, the team will have

set out priorities for reform that can

be understood and embraced by the

organisation’s whole leadership team.

Step 1 – strategy workshop

• Agree the organisational scope

of the study, for example line

of business department,

or a geographical area

• Agree the boundary to be

investigated; the upstream

and downstream parameters

• Agree the scope of technology

process and the extent

of people’s behaviour to

be investigated.

Step 2 – planning workshop

• Using the component map,

agree where IT effort and

spend is being directed

• Agree which components are

core, critical, differentiating

and non-essential to IT

• Correlate the component map

to the organisational target

• Consider whether to adopt

carbon charge-back model and

maturity level of implementation

• Baseline build model and

report through a programme

of continuous improvement.

�

measurable, and so the team’s

proposals need to be tested by looking

at working patterns and taking actual

measurements of energy usage in the

specific areas they have selected.

Savings in power use can be measured

from electricity meters and individual

devices, but reduced travel, reduced

wastage, and increased recycling

also need to be considered. These

factors may all form part of the final

technique for measuring the success

of the new green strategy which will

emerge from the priorities drawn up

in the workshop.

Business enablement service and

solution strategy

Business technology

strategy

Development strategy

Deployment strategy

Enterprise architecture

Portfolio management

Technology innovation

Business resilience strategy

Regulatory compliance

strategy

Integrated risk strategy

Knowledge management

strategy

Information management

strategy

IT support strategy

Services delivery strategy

Business performance

planning

Demand management

Communications planning

Financial management

Business technology

performance and value

Human resources management

Continuous business

operations

Regulatory compliance

Integrated risk management

Information architecture

Information resource

management

Knowledge resource

management

Operations planning

Infrastructure resource planning

Support services planning

Services and solutions

architecture

Services and solutions lifecycleplanning

Release planning

Change planning

Support services management

Infrastructure resource

management

Infrastructure operations

Service and solution

maintenance

Service and solution

creation

Release implementation

Change implementation

Regulatory compliance remediation

Business resilience

remediation

Knowledge capture and availability

Data and content management

IT services and solution

marketing

Business performance management

IT financial management

Staff administration

and development

Supplier and contract

administration

Plan and manage Build Run

Stra

tegy

Tact

ics

Ope

ratio

ns

IT customer relationship management

IT business management

Business resilience

Information and knowledge management

Service and solution development

Service and solution deployment

Service delivery and

support

Directing

Controlling

Executing

Security, privacy and data

protection

However, the GTP is a positive

source of business benefits rather

than a support function. Deciding

on these potential areas for change

is only the first step in the process.

The aim is to produce savings in

energy consumption and spending

that are clear, identifiable, and

Component business map for the business of running IT

8

Changing the way we work

In drawing up a strategy, the team

will have to look at the way the

organisation works – at its employees,

its premises, and how office and

workplace equipment is used.

It is people who determine how much

power an item of equipment uses, and

how big its carbon footprint is. It’s not

just how they use it – whether they use

equipment in active or standby mode,

or whether they turn it off when it is not

in use – it’s also where and when they

use it.

Is it being used at home? In the office?

During peak hours? All these factors

affect the amount of electricity and

other resources consumed, and the

consequential carbon output.

Organisations have to consider ‘smart

working’ – satellite offices or working

from home, for instance – and shared

services, and how they will affect

the carbon footprint. As we shall see,

the calculations can be complicated.

What is needed to minimise energy

use, save costs, and reduce the

impact on the environment is nothing

less than the transformation of each

and every work space.

When is workplace transformation considered?

Workplace transformation is

typically considered:

• To reinforce a culture change

programme

• To support a business process

transformation programme

• To anticipate the growth or

contraction of the organisation

• To introduce non-territorial

working

• When real estate is old and due

for significant refurbishment

• To reduce property costs.

• Roles• Skills• Performance measures• Management practices

• Core business processes• Support processes

• Physical environment• Virtual environment

Business strategy

Processes Infrastructure

People

Strategic scope

9

The environmental strategy, like the

business strategy, involves people,

processes and infrastructure. There

needs to be change in all three areas

to bring about green improvements.

Changing habits

If it is people who are largely

responsible for the way that energy

is used – or wasted – in the working

environment, it follows that one of

the biggest challenges is to change

the way that people work. However,

organisations can encourage and

facilitate change by providing a

suitable IT infrastructure.

One option is to treat carbon

usage in the same way that financial

expenditure is often treated – that is,

to allocate CO2 targets to department

heads, with rewards for underspending

and corresponding charges for over-

use. Such a policy will encourage

senior staff to pay greater attention

to energy consumption and they can

then spread this attitude through their

departments by making energy efficient

working easier and more convenient.

For example, the provision of a

video-conference room, will encourage

more ‘virtual’ meetings, cutting the

carbon cost of unnecessary travel.

There also needs to be a feedback

mechanism so that users can see

how they are performing against their

targets. This could be built in to any

metering system.

Of course, employees have a part to

play too. As part of this organisation-

wide drive to meet carbon targets,

they need to change the way they

use devices.

Despite recent improvements, on the

whole office equipment is still not

designed for energy efficiency. The

chip architecture of desktops, for

instance, has been described as

similar to driving a car by putting

your foot hard on the accelerator

and lifting the clutch to control the

forward speed. But the way devices

are used can have a big effect on

overall energy consumption.

• Screen savers. A PC may use

60W when running a screen saver

programme, compared to �0W

when the normal Windows desktop

is displayed, and just 1-2W in

hibernate mode.

• The lights are on but no-one’s at

home. Many PCs are left on after

the users have left the office. Even

in hibernate mode a PC will draw

some power, especially if any of the

attached devices, such as an optical

mouse, have LEDs. Office-bay

printers are left switched on when

the bay is unoccupied.

• Press the button. At many desks

power blocks are left on when they

have an obvious on/off switch.

• Over-provision. Multiple

photocopiers may be left on

when only one is needed.

10

Real estate gains

The most effective way of using real

estate to reduce the carbon footprint

is to concentrate the workforce and

operations into the minimum amount

of space they need to do their work

efficiently and effectively. Every

square metre of space saved

reduces the environmental impact

of the organisation. However, this has

to be carefully balanced against the

operational delivery model adopted

by the organisation concerned.

Saving space – assuming the building

itself is already efficient – means

working flexibly by sharing desks,

centralising print hubs, introducing

bookable formal meeting space and

free-access informal space, and

providing the IT infrastructure to

make home working attractive.

This is a significant cultural change for

an organisation and the impact on staff

should not be underestimated – but if

the whole programme is carried out

alongside the installation of more

energy efficient IT and support

equipment, it can generate significant

financial and environmental benefits.

Optimising real estate and IT devices

at the same time offers real reductions

in the carbon footprint. For real estate

the most effective way of achieving

gains is to concentrate operations

into a smaller space; for workplace

devices, radical rethinking of the

standard operating and support

environment will drive out

electrical inefficiencies.

IT provision is always an important

element of a workplace transformation

project. End users need confidence

that they will have the IT they need to

be able to do their work properly, and

organisations have to consider the

overall cost of provision.

With shared desks, for instance, there

is always a decision to be made

between the provision of a desktop

machine like the one a fixed worker

might have, a docking station for a

laptop, or the more flexible but more

expensive option of combining both.

Experience now reveals that the

docking station solution frequently

results in the provision of several

different stations to accommodate

different laptops. The default solution

is to provide a thin client computer

on the desk, so that laptop users

can plug into Ethernet links, keyboard

and screens as appropriate.

Cultural change is vital to achieving

transformation success and can only

be achieved by working with staff

and ensuring they feel involved in

the process. The new systems and

workplace have to address their

needs. The diagram below illustrates

a commonly used approach.

11

The overall picture

Most important, however, is

reaching a view of the overall energy

consumption of the workplace

environment. This involves looking

beyond the energy consumed by the

office equipment itself, and to the

energy consumed in its manufacture,

as well as what the eventual carbon

cost of its disposal will be.

These calculations are complex, and

IBM believes no-one has looked at

them in detail before – but making

them accurately is an essential part

of devising an effective strategy.

The rest of this paper concentrates

on ways to do just that. The IBM

study team devised a technique,

detailed in Section 3, which specifically

aims to reach an authoritative view

of how much energy is consumed,

and how savings can be made.

Start-up phase Implementation phase Post-programme

Survey/interviews Implementation best practices Post occupancy surveys

Benefits, identification and analysis Benefits tracking Workshop feedback

Occupancy tracking Lessons learnt Handover

Maturity profiling Risk and issue management

Policies and principles Interdependency management

Systems gap analysis and design Knowledge sharing workshop

System implementation

Programme management tools

Cultural transformation roadmap

It enables an organisation not only to

save energy, but to know how much

energy has been saved – and also

to see how those savings can be

reflected in improved profitability.

Through measurement of these

savings, any organisation can easily

see not only the implications for its

corporate social responsibility and its

public image, but also the impact on

its bottom line.

12

Saving power, saving money

The results of the research proved that

making some simple improvements

can make an immediate impact. By

simply switching off equipment at

the end of the day or when it is not in

use has a significant effect on overall

consumption; so does choosing energy

efficient equipment, such as flat-screen

monitors, which can draw up to

55% less power than conventional

CRT models.

Operating adjustments are also

important – a reduction of around 10%

in screen brightness/contrast might

save 3 watts power consumption

without degrading the quality of display.

Up to a third of printers and photo

copiers are under-utilised, and

non-critical or sensitive equipment

is often kept in air-conditioned

rooms unnecessarily.

For example, Defra has rationalised

printer provision, with the use of

multi-function devices and software

to provide automatic switch-offs.

Such changes, along with PC

operating systems that manage power

consumption more efficiently, are worth

considering as potential low-cost and

simple ways to reduce expense and

improve the carbon footprint.

Section 3 – Measuring and improving the carbon footprint

But any energy-saving programme

needs to go far beyond these quick,

easy, and low cost gains. To achieve

sustainable improvements it is

necessary as a first step to find

ways of measuring how much

power is actually being used in

the distributed IT systems.

The faceplate trap

To understand how to reduce energy

consumption, it is also necessary to

consider the question “How much

power do individual devices use?”

and the answers can be surprising.

The last few years have seen

tremendous improvements in the

power, functionality, and versatility

of office equipment, leading to better

all-round performance whether in

an office building or out on the

road. Manufacturers are increasingly

considering energy efficiency in

the design process in order to gain

competitive advantage, meet new legal

requirements, and cut energy costs.

Designers of systems which use

office equipment must now carefully

consider how best to take advantage

of these advances.

However, despite these advances,

much of the equipment on the market

still does not conform to any energy

efficiency standard.

1�

Most equipment will be stamped with

a faceplate detailing some of the

electrical characteristics of the device.

However, basing an assessment of

power consumption and carbon

footprint simply on a reading of the

wattage rating printed on the faceplate

is not satisfactory.

The study found that more specific

observations were required; simply

taking the plate wattage rating of

the device as a guide to power

consumption and CO2 footprint

can be misleading, for example:

• The plate rating often indicates the

maximum amount drawn – but for

several classes of device, the

actual power varied considerably

from that figure

• Technical specifications often detail

the power output, not the power

input, which could be higher.

• A spot reading of the electricity

being drawn by the device will not

confirm the amount used over a

longer period

• Even when a device is apparently not

switched on, or a charger is plugged

in with no device attached to it, they

can still use electricity.

Accurate measurements are possible,

although difficult, to carry out. But the

point is that individual measurements

are in any case not enough – all they

provide is a snapshot of a single

device. The crucial technique is

building on the snapshot to reach a

view of overall consumption across

the IT system.

Doing the sums

A clear approach to power

measurement and prediction is

needed for an accurate picture of

how much energy is used by IT

components. There are two key factors

which affect the energy consumption

of any device:

• The actual power consumption

of the specific devices;

• How the devices are used.

The ‘plate values’ (maximum power

consumption values) found on most

devices do not relate directly to the

actual amount of power they consume

in everyday use. There does not

appear to be a simple way of

estimating actual consumption – for

example one PC may use 60% of the

plate value in ‘normal’ use, while

another may use as little as 5%.

1�

The ideal answer is to take actual

measurements from any devices

which occur in significant volume.

Since this is impractical, the solution

is to measure a few, and use them

as a model from which to estimate

overall consumption.

Doing that, however, is complicated by

the fact that the way devices are used

will depend on the job they are

carrying out, and upon who is using

them. It is not possible to assume that

one device will have the same power

consumption as a precisely similar

device being used elsewhere.

Variables such as how long the

machine is idle; which hours it is

operational; how often the fan is

running; how often the disk is spinning

and what type of printing is being

carried out all affect the machines’

consumption levels.

It is not only a matter of what the

power consumption may be when

the machine is in its various modes,

but also of what proportion of time

it spends in each one.

The way the working environment is

organised – in the office itself, or

among staff who work outside – also

affects the amount of power used.

For example, does the organisation

use centralised network printers,

distributed desktop printers, or both?

A final consideration involves remote

or non-office working. This saves

money for an organisation by reducing

the amount of space required, and

also creates environmental benefits

such as reducing the number of car

journeys to work.

In a large organisation which may have

tens of thousands of people working in

it, it is going to take too long and cost

too much to gather all the information

for each device. It is quicker, more

cost-effective, and probably more

accurate to reach a conclusion based

on testing a sample of the equipment.

Architectural patterns

Energy efficiency ratings

Householders have long used energy

efficiency ratings (EERs) to help them

make decisions about what electrical

goods to buy for the home. Decisions

about IT equipment need to be made

in much the same way. In particular,

it would be useful to apply EER

assessments to the architectural

patterns of an IT system – the way that

hardware and software components

are structured, and how each

component interacts with the others.

15

So what would the benefits be?

• Energy efficiency ratings would help

to determine the long term energy

costs of running and maintaining

an IT system

• They would help to decide the

best overall solution to a given

business problem.

These benefits could be ongoing.

For instance, guidance about energy

efficiency for use during the outline

and design of a solution could

also be used during maintenance

of existing systems to reduce

energy consumption.

The principle that ‘the polluter pays’

is gaining widespread acceptance.

Determining how much carbon is

being consumed by an end-user

organisation with a given IT system

would make it possible to levy

charges based on the carbon

profile, thus linking business activity

with the environmental cost of the

IT supporting it.

Greening the IT landscape

We have seen that the usage of a

device and the operational processes,

practices and procedures operated

by an organisation will all affect the

carbon footprint of the distributed

IT infrastructure.

Whilst there have been many

discussions on sustainability and the

impetus on organisations to have low

carbon footprint, there is little common

acknowledgement concerning what

is good practice as regards ‘green’

requirements for a organisation’s

standard operating and support

environment? Indeed, there has been

little, if any, new thinking in this area

up to now.

Availability and disaster survivability

Traditional means to improve system

availability frequently depend on

standby systems which will take over

in the event of a failure. Frequently

these systems are idle or used for

workloads that can be sacrificed if

a failure occurs. Possible ways of

making them more efficient include:

• Not having ‘idle’ backup machines

which are switched on but not

conducting useful work. If the

recovery times allow for it, these

backup machines should be

switched off. Otherwise, they

should be fully utilised

• Having a higher ratio of active

machines to standbys. Most modern

availability solutions are capable

of supporting N+1 type availability

configurations. Generally, there is

no reason why a single backup

could not be used for eight or more

active machines

• Use spare capacity in existing

production machines to take on

production services if and when

another machine fails. Modern

partitioning techniques allow for

capacity to be allocated to virtual

machines that can take on these

workloads from failed systems.

16

Compliance

Standards compliance is a key

attribute of many systems, allowing

interoperability and many other

non-functional requirements to ‘work’.

The organisation needs a set of

environmental standards that carry

equal weight with the other IT

standards being used. Compliance

with these standards is then a

key attribute of the system and

its components.

Portability

Portability is closely related to

standards compliance. If applications

conform to the appropriate standards

then they can easily be moved from

platform to platform as business needs

change. In the green future, this

becomes an even more powerful tool.

A new system with dramatically better

green credentials which supports the

appropriate standards could take over

workloads from less efficient systems

to take full advantage of the advances.

Choice of IT standards should be

made with such a possibility in mind.

Scalability

Traditionally scalability has been

achieved either by scaling-up (adding

more capability inside the box) or

scaling-out (adding additional

instances of capability alongside the

box). Both of these consume extra

power and have a larger carbon

footprint. Emerging technology

solutions, particularly in the area of

accelerators, allow for large amounts

of additional systems capability to

be added without massive extra

power consumption. In fact, some

of these emerging technology

systems provide significant savings

in power consumption.

1�

Financial considerations

Paying the bill – carbon charge-back

Increasingly, government, businesses,

and the general public are agreeing

that the polluter should pay, and

are starting to look at carbon dioxide

and environmental damage as

chargeable commodities.

Installed IT architectures may have

an identifiable carbon cost, and

departments and even individuals

could be given ‘carbon budgets’

to meet.

One possibility is that an end-user

organisation could be allocated a

certain quota of carbon ‘tokens’ –

its carbon budget, to be spent as the

computing services of an organisation

consume power and therefore create

an associated CO2 output.

Such a mechanism would allow

a organisation’s consumption of

IT resources to be linked directly

with their environmental impact,

and would justify investment in the

IT infrastructure which would improve

the efficiency and thus the carbon

footprint of the IT architecture.

Understand consumption of distributed IT assets

Augmenting with data centre consumption and power density factors

Monitoring of shared infrastructure

Monitoringby transaction

Met

erin

g

Appr

oxim

atin

g

Carbon charge-back maturity model

Four phases

Reaching a satisfactory carbon

charge-back system could be

carried out in four stages:

Phase 1: Understanding consumption

of distributed IT assets

A power consumption profile is drawn

up from a handful of samples taken

from various classes of device around

the distributed infrastructure. This

approach is simple and flexible, but

since it does not include data centre

devices, it remains incomplete. It also

depends on estimates of which user

uses what proportion of shared

IT resources.

18

Phase 2: Augmenting with data centre

consumption and power density factors

Data Centre devices and other factors

including Heating, Ventilation and

Air Conditioning (HVAC) are also

significant, along with lighting,

monitoring systems and other

facilities infrastructure.

Up to now, the most common

approach in the industry up to now

has been to define capacity by

averaging the theoretical maximum

consumption across the whole

installation and arriving at a ‘power

density’ rating measured in watts per

square metre. However, because of

the inaccuracy of ‘name plate’ figures,

a more satisfactory result might be

gained by multiplying those figures

by 0.67, to reflect an approximation

of their power consumption in actual

use. This approach has all of the

advantages of Phase One and

considerably improves accuracy.

Phase 3: Monitoring of shared infrastructure

Within the data centre, more powerful

servers, grid technology and

virtualisation technology mean that it

is now possible for many end-user

organisations to share a physical

device or collection of devices. Using

existing tools, it is possible to monitor

the consumption of system resources

by specified applications on particular

devices. From this, the carbon charge-

back can be determined either on an

average user basis (assumption based)

or on a by use basis (metered).

Phase 4: Monitoring by transaction

Where shared infrastructure and

applications are involved, the

measurement becomes more

complex. Gathering the transaction

volume and other data will allow

apportioning of power consumption

by organisation or user.

Different devices in the infrastructure

have different ongoing downstream

costs, such as replacement parts,

printer cartridges, toner, and other

consumables. In this phase of the

carbon charge-back process, the

basic power consumption of different

categories of device would be

multiplied by a given factor to reflect

these costs.

“While some assume that cutting carbon dioxide

emissions costs businesses money, we have found just

the opposite. Addressing climate change makes

business sense. We have saved more than $100 million

since 1998 by conserving energy. When you consider

the significant environmental benefits also achieved,

cutting emissions is a win-win proposition.”

Wayne Balta, Vice President Corporate Environmental Affairs

and Product Safety, IBM

19

The wider picture

Given the current climate of

public opinion, any significant IT

programme must take into account

corporate responsibility and

environmental legislation.

Every device purchased has an

environmental cost, from sourcing

the raw materials, transportation,

assembly, distribution, commissioning,

operational use and the disposal and

salvaging of components for recycling.

Those people within an organisation

who are responsible for corporate

social affairs should be involved in

assessing the delicate balance that

exists between this cost and the value

of the device. Striking that balance

means looking at the wider picture.

Upstream…

There are many different factors

which make it difficult to determine

exactly how much energy is used

in the manufacture and distribution

of specific items of workplace

equipment. This includes the energy

required to create such components

as chips, memory, and disc drives,

the energy required during assembly,

and the energy used in the

distribution process.

Information is available from several

non-governmental organisations on the

amount of energy consumed in the

manufacture of a device. In determining

the current carbon footprint of a

distributed IT infrastructure, the

simplest solution is to accept what’s

there as it is. You cannot change

what has already happened.

…and downstream

The downstream effect includes

the energy used in running the IT

infrastructure and keeping it cool.

There is also the question – raised by

new legislation and by environmental

good practice – of its possible,

eventual recycling and reuse.

In the past landfills have been used

for obsolete IT equipment, but these

are a major source of pollution.

The legal position

EU regulations ban the sale of any new

electrical and electronic equipment

containing more than agreed levels of

lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent

chromium, polybrominated biphenyl

(PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl

ether (PBDE) flame retardants.

Manufacturers need to understand

these regulations to ensure that their

products fully comply and project

teams should be aware of the law.

20

Watching your waste

Analysts predict that as many as

10 million computers – and also

most other office equipment such

as printers, photocopiers, network

routers and fax machines – could be

discarded over the next two years in

the UK alone. These will all have to

be recycled, posing a problem for

businesses looking to meet the latest

recycling regulations.

The continued cycle of new software

introduction means that many existing

systems may be unable to operate

the latest features and functions.

Disposing of such equipment

further complicates any cost and

value exercise.

As the general public becomes

increasingly aware of the importance

of the whole-life ecological impact of

equipment, so IT departments will

have to refresh their purchasing

strategy to take account of the carbon

cost of manufacture and disposal of

individual items – the upstream and

downstream costs.

The ethical option

Companies can meet their corporate

social responsibility requirements,

obey the latest regulations, and also

maintain a positive public profile in an

increasingly environment-conscious

world by avoiding dumping obsolete

equipment in landfill sites.

One option is to give redundant

hardware to a charity that can arrange

for it to be recycled or reused.

Computer Aid International, for

example, refurbishes PCs for use

in the developing world.

Reuse is a practical solution because

a computer is rarely obsolete after the

three- or four-year lifespan of a typical

business desktop upgrade cycle.

Extending its life by a further three

years not only provides an extra

6,000 hours of usage to people who

would not otherwise have access

to IT, but also effectively halves its

environmental footprint.

Charities are working to ensure that

the security of corporate information

is not jeopardised by recycling. For

instance, Computer Aid International

says it employs market-leading,

data-destruction software.

21

Good behaviour is good business

Currently, there is no UK legislation

directly relating to the carbon footprint

of computer equipment, but the

Government’s draft Climate Change

Bill, following the Stern Report, aims

to cut CO2 emissions by 26%-30%

by 2020, on the way to 60% cuts by

2050. These cuts will have the force

of law, and will be accompanied

by five-yearly limits on emissions.

The European Union, meanwhile,

has agreed to reduce the 1990 level

of CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020.

Such measures are not aimed

specifically at computing equipment –

but there is no doubt that new

restrictions and requirements covering

all energy-using devices will be on

the way. It is more economical and

efficient to treat such regulations

proactively in the planning, designing,

and implementation phases of IT

solutions and other office and

workplace equipment, rather than

waiting to react to them once they

are announced.

Sustainability starts with protecting

assets through environmental,

social and ethical risk assessment.

But preparing for such a major change

in attitude requires a credible and

persuasive ‘green’ sustainability

strategy. It needs clear objectives

and reliable information about how

the strategy is working, along with

transparency and accountability.

There is a strong business case for

change, but it needs to be made

clearly, allowing fair comparisons to

be drawn. Reliable principles built on

agreed priorities will provide this; and

over time, government-led guidelines

may offer a structured, fact-based

approach. Organisations will be

committed to systematic sustainability

improvements and detailed reporting

about them.

On the surface, the question ‘What is

the carbon footprint of a distributed

IT infrastructure?’ appears to be very

simple to answer – but, as we have

seen, there are real complexities to

be considered.

“As global financial markets respond to the changes

in energy supply and environmental conditions

which now shape all organisations, this work

demonstrates IBM’s proactive leadership in

developing solutions and options to address this

critical challenge.”

Andrew Spencer, IBM Vice President, Global Technology Services

for Financial Markets

Section 4 – And from here…

22

The inconvenient truth is that we are spending more on energy than we realised; that we are spending it in ways that we don’t fully understand; and that we are going to have to do better.

But by tackling the green issues of carbon footprint and environmental footprint, we can achieve real business benefits, cut costs, and increase value.

Making the change will be a journey – but the inconvenient truth is a convenient starting point.

Taking a green approach towards IT issues fits in with the growing

awareness of the problems of climate change and sustainability. It is in

line with public opinion, and improves the public profile of the organisation.

And by minimising waste, it has positive financial implications. We can

be rewarded for being good.

Good behaviour, in fact, is good business.

IBM is committed to environmental leadership in all of its business

activities. For further information see ibm.com/ibm/environment/

This paper offers a data-based assessment of the issue; it provides

insights, approaches and techniques which should enable an organisation

to reach an answer with confidence.

“ By tackling the green issues of carbon footprint and environmental footprint, we can achieve real business benefits.”

Cert no. SGS-COC-0912

IBM United Kingdom Limited 76 Upper Ground South Bank London SE1 9PZ

The IBM home page can be found on the Internet at ibm.com

* IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

References in this publication to IBM products or services do not imply that IBM intends to make them available in all countries in which IBM operates. Copying or downloading the images contained in this document is expressly prohibited without the written consent of IBM. All products and/or services are subject to availability.

This publication is for general guidance only.

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2007 All Rights Reserved.

FPUK01932-0

Contact

Richard Lanyon-Hogg

Chief Technology Officer –

Green Technologies

IBM UK Ltd

Mobile: +44 (0)7710 063452

E-mail: HOGGR@uk.ibm.com