EDS Targets Carbon Emissions in Major Green Program (9-Mar-07)
From Lauraibm
Text of Article
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Global technology services group EDS aims to slash its greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and New Zealand in a wide-ranging program that will affect most areas of its business.
EDS Australia managing director Chris Mitchell says EDS in Australia and New Zealand is aggressively targeting a reduction in carbon use by 25 per cent within the next three years and will be working with three energy management experts to achieve this goal.
Energetics will baseline and monitor EDS’ carbon emissions in both countries, CO2 Australia will be Australia’s carbon offset credit partner, and a similar carbon offset credit provider will be appointed in New Zealand shortly.
The program will look at three key areas within the organisation: providing mechanisms to address employee carbon usage, developing internal initiatives to increase productivity and efficiency, whilst reducing EDS’ ecological footprint, and finally, further developing a set of service offerings that will allow EDS’ customers to reduce their impact on the environment.
EDS will establish an Offset Credit Fund, which will be used to purchase offset credits from CO2 Australia in Australia and a similar company in New Zealand. Offset credit providers carry out certified programs, like the planting of trees, which benefit our environment. EDS will be introducing a voluntary program whereby employees can contribute to the Offset Credit Fund to offset part of their own private emissions (from their home, car, etc.), with EDS matching their contributions dollar for dollar until EDS’ own matching contributions achieve EDS’ 25 per cent reduction target.
The company has taken an initial inventory of current emissions in areas such as travel, technology and power use, and analysed where savings can be made and waste cut.
Mitchell said EDS employs 8000 people in Australia and New Zealand and is a large user of energy through data centres, so EDS’ footprint would be considerable.
“The planned reductions are on top of measures already undertaken by EDS in the region in recent years,” he said. “The Greening of EDS program will take our commitment to another level and will complement our current corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“Australian and New Zealand organisations can no longer ignore the impact of climate change on our environment and the part they play in contributing to that change.
“A vigorous carbon reduction plan is an economic, as well as environmental, imperative. According to Gartner, power hungry hardware and rising global fuel prices could lead to energy costs eating up more than a third of IT budgets within the next five years.”
A major cutback in domestic air travel is among a range of carbon-saving measures being introduced by EDS.
A new sophisticated video conferencing system will be installed at nine EDS sites in Australia and New Zealand, allowing domestic air travel to be reduced by 20 to 30 per cent.
“When you consider that EDS personnel take thousands of flights between the two countries every year – and that doesn’t include trips to other parts of the world – the carbon savings are significant,” Mitchell said.
“Our estimates are greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by approximately 1000 tons every year.”
The EDS program targets energy use across the business. Measures include the adoption of energy efficient lighting and recycling at all levels from technology products to paper.
Initiatives already adopted include moving EDS’ head office to Australia’s first building with a five-star energy rating, The Bond at Millers Point in Sydney. EDS has also consolidated its Australian and New Zealand office footprint by more than 20 per cent over the last two years and cut EDS’ printer footprint by 72 per cent using its green friendly Managed Output Services offering, developed with Agility Alliance partner Fuji Xerox.
Managed Output Services is one of a number of services EDS has been developing that will allow its customers to reduce their ecological footprint. Mr Mitchell said EDS would also be supporting its suppliers and customers in taking similar carbon-saving initiatives.
