Recession Takes Its Toll on Green IT
New research from Forrester finds that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the economic downturn has begun to flatten the growth of corporate green IT projects.
It was likely only a matter of time, but the global economic downturn has taken its toll on green IT projects, according to new research from Forrester.
In "The Recession Dents Green IT's Global Momentum," Christopher Mines details how, for the first time in two years, companies are slowing their adoption of energy efficiency, virtualization and other sustainable computing practices.
However, the prolonged downturn has further reinforced the importance of green IT as a cost-saving measure: 69 percent of respondents said their top motivator for undertaking green IT projects was to reduce their energy-related operating expenses, up 4 percent from a year ago and 14 percent from October 2007.
One area where green IT activity is flattening out is the implementation of action plans for boosting energy efficiency or reducing environmental impact of the IT department (down to 50 percent of companies from 52 percent in the previous survey). Companies are also signing fewer contracts with green IT service providers, although the number of companies already engaged with these firms is holding steady.
But no matter what the numbers say, Mines writes that the economic downturn "won’t knock green IT off the rails," for the simple facts that sustainability is past the point of no return, with the world's largest companies embedding significant environmental goals in their daily operations (Walmart being a sterling example of such a firm), and the rise of risk mitigation as a concern to rival cost cutting as global climate legislation takes root.
The full report, "The Recession Dents Green IT's Global Momentum," is available for purchase from Forrester.com.
In "The Recession Dents Green IT's Global Momentum," Christopher Mines details how, for the first time in two years, companies are slowing their adoption of energy efficiency, virtualization and other sustainable computing practices.
However, the prolonged downturn has further reinforced the importance of green IT as a cost-saving measure: 69 percent of respondents said their top motivator for undertaking green IT projects was to reduce their energy-related operating expenses, up 4 percent from a year ago and 14 percent from October 2007.
One area where green IT activity is flattening out is the implementation of action plans for boosting energy efficiency or reducing environmental impact of the IT department (down to 50 percent of companies from 52 percent in the previous survey). Companies are also signing fewer contracts with green IT service providers, although the number of companies already engaged with these firms is holding steady.
But no matter what the numbers say, Mines writes that the economic downturn "won’t knock green IT off the rails," for the simple facts that sustainability is past the point of no return, with the world's largest companies embedding significant environmental goals in their daily operations (Walmart being a sterling example of such a firm), and the rise of risk mitigation as a concern to rival cost cutting as global climate legislation takes root.
The full report, "The Recession Dents Green IT's Global Momentum," is available for purchase from Forrester.com.
