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A pragmatic approach to Green IT by Zenika

Green IT is a trendy topic. However, due to lack of knowledge or motivation, businesses may struggle to start impactful initiatives in this particular area.

A common pitfall, for instance, is for businesses to solely focus on the information system energy efficiency. But the actual impact of electricity generation on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is very complex to measure, given its mixed sources (e.g. nuclear, coal, etc). Worse, fulfilling the prophecy of the Jevons Paradox, most organizations use efficiency for growth opportunities. And, sadly, this subsequently exacerbates the actual biggest source of impact IT has on the environment: hardware manufacturing.

So: is Green IT only about performance optimization and hardware recycling, as it is usually highlighted in the literature? Or is it more complex than that?

And, more importantly: why must all IT strategists have Green IT considerations when managing information systems? Read more to find out.