Will Dell be the First to Turn Green?

Which major computer manufacturer will be the first to commit to a carbon-neutral strategy? As of right now, it looks like Dell.

Earlier this year, Dell launched a program called 'Plant a Tree for Me.' As a result, customers can make donations which will pay for trees to be planted to counteract the carbon emissions caused by the hardware they are buying. Now, Dell is creating an extension of this program which it will call 'Plant a Forest for Me.' This new program will allow global organizations to work with Dell in tree planting and reforestation efforts.

Unfortunately, saving the earth is not as easy as planting a few trees and reducing carbon emissions. All of Dell's efforts will not amount to much if other IT companies do not make environmentally friendly choices as well. A survey published by IBM's UK company showed that 42 percent of IT firms do not monitor their company's IT-related energy spending. A further 9 percent claimed to be unaware of whether their firm monitors its IT-related energy spending. Of those that do monitor it, 24 percent have seen their energy consumption increase over the past two years. More than half of the 200 senior IT executives surveyed were from Europe. (Source: zdnet.co.uk)

Although the survey shows that the majority of IT companies are not trying to save the environment, one that is making an effort is none other than Dell rival, Hewlett Packard. Recently, HP was awarded "Best in Class" for its approach to climate-change disclosure in a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a coalition of more than 315 global investors. HP achieved a perfect score of 100 in the survey. (Source: zdnet.co.uk)

While the competition seems difficult, Dell is not giving up. In addition to its tree planting projects, Dell is focusing on power management. Now, Dell machines will automatically be powered off at night when they are not being used. With this strategy, Dell will save 8,500 tons of CO2 as well as $1.8 million. Another effort relates to lighting in Dell's Central Texas offices: regular light bulbs have been replaced with energy efficient ones. (Source: vunet.com)

Regardless of whether Dell succeeds in carrying out its carbon-neutral strategy, its good intentions just may be what the IT world needs to create a green future.