Green IT allows Luxembourg-based ICT companies to assess their own impact on the environment and then take steps to maximise their resources in the most environmentally aware way. Once a certain level is achieved, a “Green IT” certificate is issued to the participating company. There are Green IT experts who can assist companies in the implementation of green measures, and Apsi have organised “Green IT Days” where different aspects of sound environmental practice will be discussed in a “networking” spirit. Representatives of different companies will address collective issues and share potential solutions. These fall on March 26, June 18, September 24 and December 9 of this year. The first Green IT day will focus on subsidies and funding available on a national and European level for ICT companies in terms of training activities, ICT progression and sustainable development. Key subjects in the others will be announced in due course.

At present, ICTs are responsible for 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, and with the amount of computers in the world set to double by around 2015, it is important that the manufacture, but also use, of equipment becomes more ecological. As Apsi point out, ICTs can also help reduce the other 98% of emissions. Archive dematerialisation, for example, cuts paper consumption and transport costs. Similarly, teleconferencing reduces the number of journeys taken, which has a corresponding impact on fuel usage and emissions. Developments in this field are becoming more and more advanced as companies seek to cut costs: telepresence and next generation video conferencing are services that will see their desirability go stratospheric in the coming years.

The Green IT certificate seems likely to become a “must-have” in the ICT sector. All other things equal, a company is going to prefer to do business with an ICT provider who has the certificate. In fact, in its early days, it could afford quick on the uptake companies some good-natured bragging rights. Who doesn’t want to get one over the competition? Ultimately, the Green IT initiative is about efficiency and savings, both of money and resources, but it is also concerned with balance and what strategies make the most sense in the long term. By following such a scheme, ICT companies in Luxembourg can set an example to their peers (and secure those much sought-after bragging rights!) and to other industries in this country.

Let the games begin

In the same spirit, the 2009 Flagship Awards will have Green IT and corporate social responsibility as a theme. The Flagship Awards replaced the Internet Business Trophy, the annual prize initially awarded by Apsi in 2001, and serve, among other things, to highlight year on year advances in Luxembourg’s ICT industry. The awards are open to all Luxembourg-registered companies capable of justifying the impact of ICT on their bottom-line. These companies must submit a dossier to the jury profiling their activities and outlining their commitment to sustainability. All initiatives pertaining to Green IT and corporate social responsibility will be taken into account, as well as how the company operates as a whole and how the business functions with respect to the three pillars that govern the Flagship Awards: economy, environment and ethics.

The submission deadline for the dossier is April 15, while the finalists will be announced on April 20. From that date until May 6, the finalists will be invited to present their cases to the jury in person and answer questions in more depth. This will afford the companies the opportunity to highlight new practices adopted at their own initiative, why they adopted these practices and what they hope the end results will be. The Flagship Awards culminate with the “Golden-i Awards and Gala 2009” on May 7, when the winners will be announced and prizes conferred.

Depending on the number of entrants, how compelling their cases are, and the diversity of approach towards sustainability and environmental issues, the jury will decide on the overall amount of awards to be presented once all finalists have been assessed. Participation in the Flagship Awards is free of charge.