Switch IT Over Project

Switch IT Over Home Taking Action Resources

Councils Switching to Green Office Equipment

: Councils are switching to energy efficient technology such as thin clients and blade technology. Photo courtesy of Mackay Regional Council.

Councils are increasingly making the commitment to lower their carbon emissions through Green IT initiatives. However without a clear framework, many councils have struggled to find ways to implement their carbon reduction goals. The Switch IT Over framework assists councils with a clear step-by-step process and tailored resources to transform their Green IT goals and aspirations into reality.

In 2008/09 ICLEI Oceania worked closely with councils to implement office and IT equipment switch overs. Project councils applied the following key principles to reduce their energy consumption and improve the sustainability of their IT sector:

Purchase products that have lower power consumption in all operating modes
Enable power management features such as ENERGY STAR
Implement strategies to encourage staff to switch off equipment
Consolidate imaging equipment into fewer units
Choose equipment that meets, rather than exceeds user needs
Implement server room virtualisation
Practice sustainable end-of-life asset retirement

Key Resources

Fact sheets

Energy saving fact sheet: IT and office equipment: [PDF, 118KB] This fact sheet contains ideas and inspiration to get started on minimising the costs, greenhouse gas emissions and energy use from owning and operating council's information technology.

Case studies

Mackay takes a byte out of carbon emissions: [PDF,243KB] In a bid to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions and improve its IT infrastructure, Mackay Regional Council in north Queensland made the switch to thin client and blade technology.

Midura communicates climate change: [PDF, 218KB] Mildura Rural City Council in Victoria 'greened' its IT operations to help motivate staff to become more energy efficient and tackle climate change.

Web resources

Taking Action: Find out how to undertake a 'switch over' using the four-step project framework to assist council audit equipment, develop an action plan, implement priority actions and measure and report the costs and greenhouse benefits of its ‘green IT’ initiatives.

Resources: Download a suite of resources, fact sheets, case studies and links to assist council to take action.

Cities for Climate Protection® (CCP®) Australia: implementing greenhouse action through a collaboration between the Australian Government and ICLEI Oceania. The CCP® Australia Program is funded by the Australian Government.