The IT world has risen to the environmental challenges of our time in a way that few industries have. Every major manufacturer today offers hardware systems that meet stringent standards for efficiency and sustainable manufacturing. The lead and toxic materials are going away and data centers everywhere are becoming slimmer, more efficient versions of their former selves. The vision of green IT is finally being realized, right?

Not so fast.

As the Sustainability Programs Manager for Softchoice, I've done green IT assessments with the IT departments of more than 50 organizations ranging from small and mid-market companies to some of North America's largest corporations. The desire to go green is common to all. But turning this desire into reality is often a source of frustration.

Here's the rub: As an industry we have perpetuated a number of myths that are unhelpful to those seeking to implement more sustainable approaches to technology. It's time we called these out and began speaking in more practical terms.

Myth No. 1: The Business Case for Green IT is Clear

Most new servers are marketed with energy efficiency calculators and both the business case and environmental benefits are often compelling. But the biggest problem in making the case for energy efficiency has nothing to do with the technology. The issue is who realizes the benefits.

In most cases it is IT that spends the money yet since most organizations lease their facilities the landlord is the ultimate beneficiary. Even in cases where an organization does own its own real estate, it's usually the Facilities department that is directly goaled on energy savings.

Utilities everywhere are targeting the data center with energy-saving incentives. But these offers struggle to gain traction because of these exact issues. To complicate matters further, without metering technology, many organizations are unable to separate how much energy is consumed in the data center. This makes it tricky to pinpoint the real payback drivers for a given project.

This is why I always make a point of asking my clients one simple question: "are you measured or incented on energy savings?" The answer is invariably "No." This is a major issue for the green IT market. The best ammo for your business case isn't the home run it appears to be.

Including all stakeholders– even people not directly connected to the company -- is really the key to success. Organizations also need better support in understanding their existing energy footprint. Once a company can track the energy use of specific equipment, and break it down by business units, it becomes possible to incent and recognize those departments (like IT) that drive improvements.

Myth No. 2: Green IT is Achievable

A journalist recently asked me, "How long does it take for an IT department to be green?" Of all the companies I've worked with, it's safe to say that none have actually achieved this imagined state of nirvana. That's because green IT isn't a destination. It's about creating processes and policies that define a way of operating over the long-term.

We need to shake this finite view by making requirements for energy efficiency and environmentally responsible manufacturing a part of hardware procurement policy. Industry standards like EPEAT and ENERGY STAR allow us to raise the bar continuously without having to think about it. We're now on ENERGY STAR 5.0 which means the standards have been raised five times and counting!

As green technology evolves, so do the standards. By hitching our wagons to EPEAT, we can drive continual improvements in efficiency, which is what green IT is really all about.

Myth No. 3: Everybody Cares About Green IT

CIO Magazine published a survey on top IT priorities for 2010. Green IT wasn't there [PDF].

So how do you get the people who matter to care about the cause?

Perhaps the best advice is to forget about environmental benefits and talk the language of business. Don't lead with a laptop being green when we can say it uses 40 percent less energy first, and is more sustainable second. Moving to video conferencing will reduce CO2 emissions resulting from travel but what the C-suite cares about is the impact on operating expenses.

Green IT is really about doing away with waste and inefficiency -- and inefficiency costs money. At the core, this is about driving continuous improvements for the bottom line. This is something most organizations (and landlords) should care about.

But to be successful, we need to do a better job of understanding the unique positions of our audience. This means getting rid of the vague terminology and thinking more practically. Let's start talking the way businesses think. In my perfect world there is no more green IT because all technology will be synonymous with maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste.

Melissa Alvares is the Sustainability Programs Manager for Softchoice Corporation and the chief architect of the company's free EcoTech Assessment Service. Connect with Melissa at: Twitter.com/GreenITgirl.

_{Plug photo CC-licensed by Darren Hester.}