JISC

Universities and colleges are legally obliged to meet demanding government targets for reducing carbon emissions. Although ICT creates its own carbon emissions, it can help organisations reduce emissions by much more than it produces.

ICT accounts for 2% of global carbon emissions now, but estimates suggest that, globally, it could contribute a 15% reduction by 2020 by enabling more efficient working practices across all economic sectors.

Our advice, guidance and case studies can help your organisation reduce carbon emissions by changing working practices using videoconferencing, more efficient ways of printing and sharing services and equipment.  We’ve also supported work on motivating staff to work in a more energy conscious way.

• Use the Janet videoconferencing service to replace physical with virtual meetings, saving energy on travel. The service’s biggest customer uses it to communicate between three campuses and to deliver Welsh language distance learning. Read about Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor's experiences of embedding videoconferencing and find out how other organisations have used videoconferencing to save energy and costs.
• Save energy, resources and carbon by replacing numerous desktop printers with fewer multi-functional devices that can print, photocopy, scan and fax documents. Read our guide to efficient office printing
• Reduce duplication or double-purchasing of equipment by using the Kit Catalogue to encourage reuse of equipment across your organisation.
• Use the SusTEACH planning tool to design new courses and teaching material taking their environmental impact into account.
• Our work is helping organisations explore ways of providing incentives to staff and stduents to save energy. Cambridge University, for example, provided staff with financial incentives to improve energy efficiency by enabling departments rather than the central administration to reap the rewards - or the penalties. Other organisations are using energy dashboards to draw attention to the energy use of individual buildings or facilities. For example, the University of Manchester has developed a carbon-reporting scheme.
• Our work has piloted a location independent working scheme for academic staff in teaching roles which could save more than £1000 per staff member per year in travel and energy costs.
• Other ways in which you could work differently to reduce your carbon footprint include sharing services and ensuring you  procure energy efficient equipment.
• Join the sustainable ICT JISCmail list to keep abreast of the latest developments.

Our future work will report on assigning responsibility for energy costs and reducing the environmental impact of buildings.