Council websites 'can boost sustainability'
Organisations promoting online services instead of face-to-face contact for routine transactions can reduce their environmental impact, according to a new report.
Research undertaken by Best Foot Forward on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government revealed that local authorities promoting online services not only made cost savings but also reduced their carbon emissions.
Using Sunderland City Council as an example, the study discovered that increasing the number of web-based applications for five key areas of local council activity saved up to 80,000 kilograms of carbon a year, negating any negative impact from IT server usage.
We know that driving to the Town Hall to carry out a transaction uses 20 times more energy than doing it online," said Parmjit Dhanda, e-government minister. "That's why it's so important that we encourage people to talk to their local authority through the web."
"The Best Foot Forward study supports Government plans for a low carbon economy and debunks the received wisdom that increases in IT server capacity negate any CO2 savings arising from the Internet economy."
Employment firm D7 Recruitment recently revealed its plans to promote sustainability by not maintaining office space and instead conducting all its business operations with home working.
Article Date: 17 January 2008
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