Information Technology Solutions

Any successful business in the 21st century relies more and more on technology to help it run efficiently and successfully. Running a pro-green, carbon efficient business can also be assisted with modern technological solutions. This is an area that’s enhancing the way businesses work everyday by helping to reduce carbon emissions and make working conditions more flexible.

In order to make smart, green decisions in the workplace, look at the possibilities that IT opens for your business. You’ll find you don't need to be a computer geek to make the most of the technology that’s already available in most offices to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Email

It’s hard to imagine a business running without computers, the internet and email communications these days, but it wasn’t that long ago that typewriters, letter writing, photocopiers and faxes were the most technologically advanced items in the office to help it run smoothly. And with that – reams and reams of paper wasted. The benefits of electronic communications mean a single email can replace 10 print outs, letter headed paper, envelopes and so on.

However we’re still not making the most of our potentially paper-free offices. According to Lexmark, £230 million worth of printed paper is wasted in British businesses every year, with one in five sheets lost, thrown away or disregarded. This is equivalent to 2,354 million sheets of wasted paper - an in-tray 2.5 kilometres tall.

Only print out paper when you need to, stock recycled paper in the office and set your printers to print out on both sides. You can also print rough drafts out on the back of unwanted print-outs.

Internet

The internet is an excellent way of allowing businesses to operate without extra energy-burning resources being needed – and even eradicating the necessity of office space. If you are running an E-commerce business, you can do so in a cost and energy efficient way – allowing people to avoid travelling to work by working from home, communicating with them over the internet and letting employees use their own equipment instead of forking out on unnecessary and natural resource wasting equipment.

Plus, the ever-evolving, 24-hour World Wide Web has spearheaded the information revolution. The internet can be used to find out a wealth of otherwise difficult to find information – including green facts, figures and tips that can help you pioneer an environmentally friendly office.

Video Conferencing

Many businesses operate at a national, continental and global level, necessitating round the world trips, transatlantic conferences and business meetings. This all adds up to one thing: travel, be it by car, bus, train or plane.

Modern technology enables businesses to avoid overseas and intercity travel whilst still keeping a personal touch. Video conferencing is the latest way of communicating with employees and clients from all over the world, allowing you to see who you are talking to as well as hearing them and getting your work done. It’s a great way on cutting down on the carbon emissions you would have created through business travel and has come on by leaps and bounds since the first bulky and expensive video-conferencing equipment, usually restricted to the boardroom, was developed.