Environmental analysis news: Lack of awareness holding back adoption of environmentally-friendly technology, expert says

A lack of awareness surrounding the number of environmentally-friendly technologies available to businesses is inhibiting their adoption, an industry expert has claimed.

Those making decisions about IT service adoption do not always fully understand the products, according to Chris Ingle, associate vice-president at IDC.

He stated: "Part of the issue is that it is not always IT who are responsible for these areas but IT are needed to help make the decision and help the integration and security aspects of this kind of project."

Mr Ingle's comments follow research released by his organisation, which revealed that intensively used ICT-based technologies could potentially reduce carbon emissions by 25 per cent across the G20 countries, compared with 2006 levels.

While studies have found that many businesses are adopting environmentally-friendly policies, such as monitoring fuel bills, Mr Ingle is concerned that many do not understand the potential benefits that IT solutions could bring.

In a survey carried out on the Forum of Private Business' Environmental Member Panel, less than half (43 per cent) of respondents said that they would be investing in technology in order to improve energy efficiency.

Posted by Claire Manning