IT firms in UK double-counting carbon footprint: Fujitsu

08 August 2008

Mumbai: A majority of information technology managers in the UK believe that the carbon footprint of outsourced IT operations should add to the overall footprint of their organisation, a study undertaken among 100 chief information officers of UK companies employing more than 1,000 people revealed.

But, that could be a double counting of total carbon emissions, says IT outsourcing provider Fujitsu Services, who commissioned the study.

The study found many senior decision makers in the IT space are in the dark as to the extent of carbon emissions from IT operations.

About 76 per cent of the IT decision-makers said the emissions from outsourced IT operations should qualify for the sourcing firm's carbon footprint, 24 per cent believe it would be overstating.

The study also found that significant numbers of IT departments are not  measuring IT's contribution to their own organisation's carbon credit.

Financial services sector firms were the most diligent with 68 per cent claiming to measure the impact while only 36 per cent in the manufacturing and 32 per cent in retail, distribution and transport measured the impact of IT on the organisation's carbon credit.