Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Procurement
Technology is an inseparable component of any
organizational environment. The availability and
use of information systems and technologies has
grown almost to the point of being a commodity. As
such, the management of Information Technology
resources is very important in order to ensure that
organizations contribute to the worldwide efforts
of sustainability and greening.
There are hundreds of approaches that could be
qualified as “green” organizational IT practices.
For the purpose of this study, the authors divide
them into three major streams: asset, power and
personnel management.
Metrics such as Energy Star (ES) and EPEAT
(Electronic Product Environmental Assessment
Tool) allow organizations to determine which
products qualify as most environmentally-friendly
and to review the comparative environmental
impact of competing products (GEC, 2007) and
(EnergyStar, 2009).
One of the most popular initiatives used in
organizational IT purchasing practices is the
acquisition of Energy Star (ES) products. Initi-
ated in 1992 by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency as a voluntary labeling pro-
gram to identify and promote energy efficient
products, the Energy Star Program began with
labels for computer products. As of 2006, more
than 40,000 Energy Star products are available in
a wide range of items including major appliances,
office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and
more. The EPA estimates that it saved about $14
billion in energy costs in 2006 alone.
Another initiative, utilized widely by purchas-
ers in the public and private sectors, is the use
of EPEAT (Electronic Products Environmental
Assessment Tool) registered products. EPEAT is
a system for evaluating, comparing and selecting
desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based
on their environmental attributes. EPEAT also
provides a clear and consistent set of performance
criteria for the design of products and provides an
opportunity for manufacturers to secure market
recognition for efforts to reduce the environmental
impact of their products.
In the process of purchasing Information
Technology products, many organizations use the
Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator
(EEBC) to calculate the specific environmental
benefits from the purchase of EPEAT registered
computers and monitors. The Electronics Environ-
mental Benefits Calculator (EEBC) was developed
by the University of Tennessee Center for Clean
Products to assist organizations in quantifying the
Asset Management
According to the International Association of
Information Technology Asset Management (IAI-
TAM), IT asset management (ITAM) is the set of
business practices that join financial, contractual
and inventory functions to support life cycle
management and strategic decision making for
the IT environment. Assets include all elements
of software and hardware that are found in the
business environment.
By channeling the procurement process toward
purchasing environmentally friendly IT products
and by managing the usage of these products,
organizations could contribute greatly to the
power consumption reduction. By expanding the
life cycle of the products and disposing wisely
the used products, organizations can limit their
contribution to the creation of environmentally
threatening landfills.
Hardware asset management is of utmost
importance in dealing with environmental issues.
Hardware asset management entails the manage-
ment of the physical components of computers
and computer networks, a time frame that spans
the acquisition process through to the disposal of
components. Common business practices include
procurement management, utilization manage-
ment, and disposal management.
