Information Communications TechnologyGreen ICT Policy Summary
Green ICT Policy Summary
January 2013
Version 0.3
Department of
Corporate and Information Services1
Information Communications TechnologyGreen ICT Policy Summary
1Policy Statement
2Why Green ICT
3High Priority Measures (for Service Providers and Agency ICT Management)
4Medium Priority Measures (for Users and Agencies)
5Recycle and Reuse (for Users)
6ICT Enabled Energy Reduction
7Procurement Planning (for Agencies)
8Data Centre Efficiency
References
Department of
Corporate and Information Services1
Information Communications TechnologyGreen ICT Policy Summary
1Policy Statement
It is recommended that the Northern Territory Government (NTG) and its agencies reduce the environmental impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use.
2Why Green ICT
Globally, it has been found that 2% of energy consumption is due to ICT equipment. This will increase with more services being made available online by Governments and businesses. The document is about ways of reducing the effect of climate change and improving environmental performance through smart ICT usage. Reducing and using energy efficiently not only improves the environmental performance of ICT usage but also saves considerable amount of money.
ICT users have the capacity to reduce the amount of energy and operate it efficiently. ICT users will be proud of the fact that they are able to do the right thing to the environment and reduce the carbon footprint due to ICT usage.
The policy is in alignment with the Northern Territory Government and national strategies to manage climate change. More on this can be found at
Some Australian Federal agencies have saved millions of dollars in ICT costs by following some simple and practical measures detailed in this policy. More information on the amount of savings made can be found at
There are a number of reporting requirements for agencies and service providers detailed in this document. The Information Communication Technology (ICT) Policy and Strategy Division of the Department of Corporate and Information Services (DCIS) is responsible for developing and maintaining this policy. The policy covers all ICT equipment including PCs, laptops, servers, network equipment, printers, multifunction devices (MFDs), desktop and mobile phones, uninterrupted power supplies (UPS), and Data Centres.
3High Priority Measures (for Service Providers and Agency ICT Management)
There are a few simple measures that can be implemented to realise significant cost savings.
- Initiate a black screen (not animated or blank screen) on all workstations within 15 minutes of inactivity.
- Power off workstations during work hours if inactive for 3 hours, and after hours if inactive for 15 minutes.
- Measure power on a regular basis to ensure that the standards are being followed.
4Medium Priority Measures (for Users and Agencies)
a)Reduce the amount of printing
b)Print double sided
c)Use Eco font for draft copies
d)reduce margins
Where possible consolidate the number of devices being given to an employee. Use of multifunction devices (MFDs) is the recommended direction.
Reduce the number of files and emails stored on file servers. Use of EDRMS (Electronic Document Records Management System) for management of government records is recommended and this ensures a paperless office. The NTG approved EDRMS is TRIM.
5Recycle and Reuse (for Users)
ICT equipment must be recycled in a responsible manner by agencies. The local and national legislation must be adhered to when recycling.
Life of some ICT equipment can be extended by reusing components and systems. There is a scheme operated by NTG to give away unsubscribed computers to needy and eligible community organisations.
6ICT Enabled Energy Reduction
Significant reductions are possible by reducing travel. NTG staff are encouraged to consider Audio and video conferencing and use of other online communication tool.
Agencies must consider developing teleworking policy for their staff to reduce travel and ease congestion on roads. Other measures to reduce travel may include co-locating staff from different departments in same buildings in suburbs and rural areas.
7Procurement Planning (for Agencies)
All ICT equipment purchased must be specified also on their abilities to meet environmental performance. It has been recommended to use EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool). More information on this can be found at The tool evaluates environmental performance based on the materials used in ICT manufacture, their design for recycling, operational efficiency and the manufacturer’s commitment to improving environment. As a default ICT equipment purchased must be in the Gold category and should meet ICT performance conditions.
For operational energy efficiency as a minimum the ICT equipment must meet the US Energy star criteria. More information on this can be found at
The packaging materials used for packing ICT equipment requires suppliers to be signatory to the national packaging covenant. More information on this can be found
Statements that can be cut and pasted into an RFT are supplied in this section.
8Data Centre Efficiency
All Data Centres servicing NTG services will be covered by the standards. Data Centre energy efficiency is a measure of how much energy input in to the Data Centre is actually being utilised.
Data Centres servicing NTG ICT operations must adhere to the NTG Energy Smart Buildings policy. This policy is being operated by Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment (DLPE).
Use of non-conventional energy sources such as solar, wind, etc is encouraged. However, this energy is also to be reported as energy being used by Data Centres.
All Data Centres are required to develop a code of conduct to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency. All agency operated server rooms and small server farms must adhere to this section but need not develop a code of conduct.
The adherence to this section not only improves environmental performance but also commercial competitiveness.
References
- AS/MZS4665 mark III (
- Eco Font (
- EU Code of Conduct for ICT (
- Greenhouse workbook (updated site:
- Green ICT Handbook ( )
- - site no longer found in 2011
Department of
Corporate and Information Services1