Feb 21 2008
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been named as the only environmental group and only non-profit organization in Computerworld Magazine’s “Top Green-IT Companies for 2008”. WWF, the world’s largest environmental organization, was singled out for its use of energy saving technologies and CO2 reducing business practices. The recognition appears in the February 18, 2008 issue of Computerworld Magazine and online at Computerworld.com.
“WWF has been working to protect the environment for over 45 years,” says Greg Smith, CIO at World Wildlife Fund. “We have a responsibility to ‘walk the walk’ by putting conservation actions we promote to the rest of the world into everyday action in our own work environment. IT has proven to be one area in which we can really make a difference.”
Last June, WWF joined forces with Intel, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM, Microsoft and other industry leaders to form the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, a broad effort organized to drive energy-efficient computing by encouraging the use of energy-efficient computers and power management tools worldwide. The Climate Savers Computing Initiative licensed its name from the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program, which involves several leading companies working to reduce their carbon footprint. With estimated emissions for the information and communications technology industries as high as 2 percent of global emissions, the industry is a key sector for engagement in ensuring energy efficiency gains.
Within WWF’s IT department, Smith has incorporated a variety of cost-saving and energy saving practices and equipment. WWF uses VMware virtualization software along with blade servers to reduce energy consumption and air conditioning requirements. Running software from a remote server - so called application portability – saves both energy and money. WWF uses and promotes Web collaboration systems such as SharePoint, WebEx and Citrix MetaFrame XPA, and encourages videoconferencing over business travel when possible to reduce CO2 emissions. Additionally, to reduce electricity consumption, WWF purchases Energy-Star compliant computers and networking printers. Employees use power management settings on PCs and IT staff set network printers to revert to sleep mode when not in use.
WWF joins Highmark Inc., Discovery Communications LLC, and nine other top national companies in the Computerworld recognition. Computerworld is a leading source of technology news and information, with a weekly audience of 1.2 million readers.