"Big Blue" turns "Big Green"

By John Herold

Why else, they say, would IBM ever attach itself to the “Big Green” theme, when “Big Blue” was such a derogatory term, whispered behind the hands of trembling computer centre managers in an industry so totally dominated by the company, that it was often thought to be a career-ending decision to opt for equipment from the opposition – the so-called “Seven Dwarves”.
As it happens, IBM has had an environmental policy since 1971, which, according to Andrew Fox, the local Systems and Technology group manager, is supported by “our global Environmental Management System (EMS), which helps us demonstrate environmental leadership and ensure we remain vigilant in protecting the environment across all our global operations, including New Zealand”.
In 1997, New York-based, IBM became the world’s first major multinational to earn a single worldwide registration to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard, covering all its manufacturing, research laboratories, product design and hardware development operations globally and some sales and services operations.
So it was no surprise, in 2006, one of 10 new IBM businesses stemming from its “InnovationJam”, was Big Green Innovations, dedicated to anticipating critical environmental problems confronting the world; developing breakthrough technologies and services; and delivering relevant solutions through collaborative innovation, with clients and key business partners.
The focus of Big Green Innovations has been to develop the solutions of tomorrow. More importantly, it is to share those solutions widely.
A year later the “Big Green” initiative – a US$1 billion each year to accelerate green technologies and services, and a roadmap for clients to address the IT energy crisis – was launched in New Zealand and we were to benefit almost immediately with an IBM-funded survey, conducted by the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development (NZBCSD). In the first quarter 2008, 2,302 business respondents were surveyed online, including 200 IT managers or equivalent.
Some of the findings were encouraging for our own industry and the strong relationship we have with the IT industry. There was much else to be concerned about too, right down to our IT colleagues across the ditch articulating a pro-sustainability commitment rather than a cost-cutting strategy as driving their efforts, while we remained in the other camp.
The full survey can be viewed online at www.ibm.com/nz – go to “news” and view First NZ-only Study Finds Green IT Low on NZ business agenda.
The IBM-commissioned study explored businesses’ perceptions around environmental sustainability and the contribution of IT to organisational energy use.
NZBCSD CEO, Peter Neilson, believes that recycling and lighting have been popular because people’s awareness and understanding of the concept and environmental benefits is high.
“New Zealand businesses have grasped the ‘low-hanging fruit’, but too few are aware of new computing approaches that offer similarly practical ways to save energy, money and have a greater environmental impact.”

The upside
Half of New Zealand organisations have made some operational changes to reduce their environmental impact or energy costs in the last 12 months and 24 percent plan to make changes in the next year. That’s a very encouraging three quarters of those surveyed, on the front foot on these issues.
Nearly as many respondents believe businesses must become more environmentally sustainable for New Zealand to have continued success in the global economy. (Interestingly though, while we consider the environment at home, it is less so at work. Almost three-quarters of New Zealanders consider the environment when making household purchases, but only less than half say environmental considerations have an impact when making business purchases.)
Unsurprisingly, rising energy costs are the most common cost increases facing New Zealand businesses. Just on a third of those businesses surveyed, reported energy costs rising faster than any other expense in the past two years – and that was before the latest round of gouging by oil companies in particular. Nearly half (45 percent) of manufacturers cite energy as their greatest cost increase.
The most common actions New Zealand organisations have taken in the last year to reduce environmental impact or energy costs were to start recycling programmes (just under half), monitor energy use (more than a third) and buy more energy-efficient lighting (a third).
Slightly over half (55 percent) of people working in the IT industry believe businesses must become more environmentally sustainable for New Zealand to have continued success in the global economy. Given that is on the positive side of the ledger, it has to be seen against the nearly two thirds (65 percent) of all respondents who believe businesses must achieve that goal.
The most common ways IT managers reduce the environmental impact of IT were to mandate a reduction in energy consumption (a third of them) and ensure the safe disposal of old IT equipment (28 percent).

Summary – the not so flash
Despite rising energy costs and the environmental impact of technology, New Zealand businesses are behind the rest of the world in making IT a key part of sustainability programmes. Only slightly over a third of our businesses, with sustainability strategies, included IT infrastructure as a key part of that strategy, compared to nearly two-thirds of their Australian counterparts.
Should we as professionals in the electrical and automation game be concerned about that, or is it one big opportunity for us, as well as our IT colleagues? Surely the latter.
It is possible though that our IT colleagues are not completely “on to it” either on this score. The survey shows that cost-savings, not the environment, are driving ‘Green IT’ in New Zealand. The most common reason for New Zealand organisations to reduce the emissions from IT is cost reduction (half the IT managers), while across the ditch, nearly two-thirds of Australian IT managers are more likely to reduce IT emissions out of concern for the environment.
Is that possibly because IT managers in Australia are more inclined to give a “PC” answer or is it to do with better communication on this subject generally over there? Certainly the next finding would give some credence to that.
The survey revealed New Zealand businesses are not communicating their environmental commitments effectively. While more than half (54 percent) of senior managers report that their company has an environmental or sustainable development strategy, only just over more than one-in-five of all respondents (employees and employers) believe their organisation has such a strategy.
Overall, commercial interests in New Zealand would seem to be slow adopters, rather than leaders in this area, and that is borne out to some degree by the final significant finding: fewer than a third (28 percent) of businesses say environmental considerations have a moderate or significant impact on their procurement.
On the other hand it found that Government and manufacturing organisations (most subject to scrutiny and legislation?) tend to give greater consideration to the environment.