Green issues slipping down the agenda

Just under half of companies are 'very concerned' about their environmental impact

Senior IT professionals appear to be losing interest in the impact their businesses are having on the environment, according to a survey released this week.

Document management firm Version One said that the survey uncovered a fall in the number of IT professionals who are taking green issues seriously.

Eighty-six per cent of senior IT professionals are concerned about the negative impact their company is having on the environment, down 12 per cent compared with an identical survey carried out in February 2007.

Just under half of respondents indicated that they were 'very concerned' about their company's environmental impact, compared with 56 per cent last year.

A total of 12 per cent admitted that they were 'not concerned' about their company's environmental impact, compared with just one per cent in the 2007 survey.

Some respondents even suggested that the UK government is pushing green agendas simply to raise revenue.

"It is clear that the majority of IT professionals remain concerned about the impact their organisations are having on the environment," said Lynne Munns, general manager of Version One.

This year's survey findings suggest one of two things, according to Munns. IT professionals may be becoming apathetic about green issues and the role they play to help reduce CO2 emissions and their company's overall environmental impact.

The other conclusion is that, since February 2007, some of the respondents' businesses have actively taken steps to reduce their environmental impact and are therefore less concerned as a result.

"If complacency has set-in, it is imperative that this does not continue because IT professionals need to ensure that their IT strategies are closely aligned with their organisations' green agendas," said Munns.

Most respondents believe that more needs to be done to persuade UK companies to reduce their negative impact on the environment, but there are mixed ideas about the type of measures required.

Over a quarter suggested that financial incentives alone are sufficient, while 22 per cent favour a green education programme. Some 20 per cent feel that financial incentives together with legislation and education is the answer.

Just 12 per cent believe that legislation alone would encourage businesses to become more eco-friendly.

The remaining respondents suggested either a combination of financial incentives and a green education programme, or legislation and financial incentives.