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Do we need to be constantly told about a product ’ s green credentials ?
All of our panellists agreed - companies
need to get their act together when it
comes to their green strategies . Tse said :
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Is it too hard to compare products and services due to a lack of uniform standards ?
The onus is still on buyers of tech-
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ments that are easily understood by their
target audience , otherwise the message
will be lost . Despite the fact that there
is no uniform standard for measuring
greenness , companies should still be able
to communicate how their product or
service is eco-friendly using easily understood
units of measurements ,” said Tse .
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“ Every company is different regarding
how much value they place on being
green and eco-friendly . For some , this is
an important issue that they place a high
value on , and their products are designed
and engineered accordingly .”
Gibbons was a stronger , saying : “ A product
’ s ‘ green ’ credentials are a very important
aspect of its overall characteristics and I
don ’ t know any credible organisation that
doesn ’ t have sustainability as part of its
underpinning values .”
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nology to figure out what everyone ’ s
different claims about greenness and
environmental friendliness mean . Tyrer
suggests : “ There are a number of different
standards that measure greenness
which make the environment complex .
Organisations need to make a concerted
effort to consider the expected longevity
of the infrastructure , looking at areas
like CAPEX vs OPEX , and return on
investment over the lifetime of products
or services .”
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Will standards make a difference ? Gibbons
said : “ I am not sure if standards
would change this situation much , as
every company needs to assess sustainability
from their unique set of circumstances
and strive for the very best
outcome ; however , standards may be
useful in encouraging us to benchmark
against the minimum acceptable level
and give the public a point of reference
when comparing between different
organisations .”
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Both Tyrer and Deguara agreed that we
are still at the beginning of the green
journey . Tyrer told us : “ Some level of
green credentials is expected by the
market ; however , not all green standards
are uniform .”
Deguara had some strong words , saying :
“ We ’ re nowhere near the point where we
can assume the technology we use has
either been designed for minimal envi-
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This makes it hard for business , as there ’ s
no way to compare apples with apples
if everyone is using different systems to
articulate their green credentials . “ If you
really want to gauge the environmental
impact of a product you ’ re using , the
data may be available but trying to find
it can be the challenge ,” said Deguara .
For those selling services that they ’ re
touting as green , the challenges are
different .
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Is green technology a part of strategic planning for IT managers ?
All four panellists agreed that energy
efficiency and green technology were significant
influences in IT strategic planning .
“ Green technology has become increasingly
important for strategic planning
for CIOs and IT managers ,” said Tyrer .
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ronmental impact or can be assumed to |
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help us reduce our own impact on the
environment .”
OUR PANEL
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“ If a company makes green marketing
a priority , they should offer measure-
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Within Fiji Xerox , Gibbons said : “ Green
technology is one of the critical lenses
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© iStockphoto . com / Salawin Chanthapan |
Paul Tyrer , Vice President - Pacific , Schneider Electric |
Mark Deguara , Senior Manager Technical Services , Emerson Power |
Judith Tse , Marketing Director - Asia Pacific , LifeSize Communications |
Craig Gibbons , Chief Information Officer , Fuji Xerox Australia |
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