Becta scheme to help schools cut emissions from IT

Tom Young, Computing, Thursday 4 February 2010 at 15:02:00

New training and tools for IT staff to tackle carbon footprint

Schools' IT staff can now take courses in reducing the carbon footprint of
operations, thanks to government technology education body Becta.

Becta has developed the
Framework
for ICT Technical Support (FITS) to improve the knowledge of schools' IT
staff on environmental issues.

The initiative includes the distribution of tools that help schools monitor
their use of computing power, including a carbon footprint comparison tool that
compares the electricity used by different IT products.

The framework makes recommendations on how environmental criteria can be
embedded in procurement arrangements to ensure schools buy energy-efficient
products.

Stephen Lucey, executive director of strategic technologies at Becta, said:
"We are working with local authorities, schools, governors, heads and teachers
to advise them on small changes that they can make to reduce their carbon
footprint."

The agency estimates that saving just one watt of power all day every day
from each school computer would result in about �1.8m in savings.

Last week, schools secretary Ed Balls
said
at least four pilot, zero-carbon schools would be operational by 2016. And from
2013 schools must reduce CO2 emissions from new buildings by about 80 per cent
on 2002 building standards.

All schools are to get digital energy display meters by 2020 to help them
reduce their carbon footprint.

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2257349/schools-help-green