Efficient ICT: Greener Government

The Efficient ICT: Greener Government conference will explore the opportunities of ICT to provide better public service for less cost while contributing sustainability benefits.

The conference follows the Cabinet Office’s launch of the Government’s ICT strategy, which includes a commitment to green standards:

“Green ICT standards that are pivotal to the delivery of improved cost efficiencies will also be factored into the design, delivery and disposal of ICT solutions.”

A Greening Government ICT strategy will also be published later in the year, in line with the Government ICT Strategy and wider carbon reduction policies This will set out how government will achieve reductions in operational costs and carbon footprints, and will include the use of collaboration and mobile working technologies.

The conference will also look at commitments towards the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme to reduce carbon output, as monitored by the Environment Agency, Defra’s Government Buying Standards for ICT procurement, and the work Cabinet Office and DECC to spread best practice through the public sector, as outlined in The Carbon Plan.

Keynote speakers will include representatives of the Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC, Ministry of Defence and Environment Agency.

Jonathon Porritt, a founder director of Forum for the Future, will speak on sustainable cities of the future, looking at the role of new technology in meeting the challenges of increasing urbanisation, encouraging more sustainable behaviour and understanding full life-cycle product costs.