NEW DELHI, India — The
Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) has expanded to India in a bid to reduce the energy consumption of millions of computers in the world’s second most populous country.
The CSCI promotes the use of technologies such as power management features that both cut energy use when computers are not in use and improve power delivery efficiency.
Google and
Intel founded CSGI in the U.S. as a
nonprofit group of consumers, businesses and conservation groups aligned to reduce IT-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Consumer members of the initiative are asked to use energy efficient computers and enable power-management capabilities, such as sleep or hibernate mode. Participating manufacturers agree to develop products that meet or surpass Energy Star standards, while systems buyers commit to use power management features and choose Energy Star products in their procurement. NGOs agree to educating end users on power management tools and the perks of energy efficiency.
The India chapter has the backing of nine organizations:
Dell, Intel,
HP, Google,
WWF,
TERI,
CII-ITC Centre Of Excellence For Sustainable Development, MAIT and
NASSCOM. It has set a goal of cutting computer power consumption in half and avoiding four million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next three years.
“With the projected increase in the numbers and extent of usage of IT equipment, it is essential that this industry becomes fully conscious of the implications of these developments for increased energy consumption,” said R. K. Pachauri, chairman of the U.N.’s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and director-general of CSCI member TERI. “It is, therefore, imperative that industry takes the lead in bringing about innovation that would ensure high levels of efficiency in the operations of IT equipment through its entire life cycle.”
India is the world’s sixth largest electricity producer and consumer. It is estimated that roughly 6.5 million new desktop and notebook PCs will begin operation in the country this year, bring the total number of computers in use to about 47 million.
Nearly 500 companies and organizations are now part of CSCI, including
universities,
U.S. governors, and
nonprofits, among others.
Taj Majal image CC licensed by Flickr user voobie.
ClimateBiz.com