Green IT in Yorkshire & Humber

This event has now happened. If you would like information on the event please contact the Digital 20/20 team.

Green IT is gaining momentum – but it is an area that is complicated by misinformation, tokenism (or 'greenwashing') from manufacturers/service providers and misperceptions among end users.

At the moment the key driver for most organisations is cost saving, although the UK public sector has published carbon reduction targets for 2012 and 2020. Private sector enterprise now also has to make the choice between meeting carbon reduction targets or paying fines.

Already, organisations are reporting skills gaps around areas such as the implementation of virtualisation and the building of a green IT infrastructure.

Where do we go from here?

To help kick-start the debate and encourage information sharing in the region, Digital 20/20 is hosting a Green IT “mini-conference” on Monday 18th January in Leeds.

This event has come about following research conducted by Digital 20/20 into Green IT in Yorkshire & Humber. The objective of the day is to bring together people from the public sector, education and business who are interested in Green IT issues, to share information and discuss how we could usefully take forward some kind of Green IT network for the region. The format for the day will be a series of sessions involving brief inputs from speakers followed by discussion. The idea is to promote information sharing and debate.

Programme Details:

MONDAY, 18TH JANUARY, 2010, 10am – 4pm
LEEDS (nti Leeds, Old Broadcasting House, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9EN)

Chairperson – Colin Pattinson, Professor in Mobile and Converging Technologies, Leeds Metropolitan University

What does “Green” really mean?

This session will cover:

• “The 3 colours of green IT” (being greener with IT, using IT to help you be a greener organisation, recycling and disposal)
• Where are we now – the Digital 20/20 report
• Seeing through the “greenwash”

Speakers:

• Helen Harrop (Digital 20/20)
• Colin Coghill (formerly University of Leeds)
• Paul O’Donnell (Scientia Group)

Why be Green?

This session will look at the various drivers and how they differ across sectors:

• Cutting costs
• Corporate social responsibility
• Government targets / pressures
• Reducing carbon footprint

Speakers:

• Peter Hopton (Very PC)
• Joss Winn (University of Lincoln)
• David Patterson (Learning Light)

How to be Green?

This session will look at what people are actually doing now or will need to do:

• Skills – now and in the future
• Regional expertise
• National examples
• Cross-sector lessons

Speakers:

• Rob Bristow (JISC)
• Colin Pattinson (Leeds Met)
• Gareth Knight (IBM)