CSCI India Chapter Launches Energy Saving Programme

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI), a global initiative has launched its India chapter, with nine major organisations including Dell, Intel, HP, Google, WWF, TERI, CII-ITC Centre Of Excellence For Sustainable Development, MAIT and Nasscom joining hands with the aim of driving energy-efficient practices in every-day computing.

In 2007, CSCI, a global campaign, was initiated in the United States by major IT companies including CSC, Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, and Microsoft. CSCI is a non-profit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organisations promoting adoption of smart technologies in everyday business and personal computing, which can improve the efficiency of a computer’s power delivery and reduce the energy consumed when the computer is in an inactive state.

It is calculated that more than half of the power in the desktop PC is wasted as heat. Even servers, which are typically more efficient than desktops, still waste 30 to 40 percent of the power utilised. One of the prominent reasons behind wastage of power is that desktop PCs have default setting of sleep or hibernate mode when inactive for a sustained duration however, in about 90 percent of systems this functionality has been disabled. This results in higher energy consumption and an increase in electricity usage. In addition, IT users have a lack of awareness about the power-saving features, which are already available in their computers.

“In the next three years, the Climate Savers Computing Initiative will cut greenhouse gas emissions in an amount equal to planting around 4800 sq km of trees – a significant step in reducing the emissions affecting our planet,” said Rahul Bedi, director, Corporate Affairs-South Asia, Intel and first chairman of the CSCI India Chapter.

The nine founding members of CSCI India have pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 4 million tons and reduce 50 percent in energy costs through efficient computing in the next three years. “We believe that CSCI India will play a crucial role in supplementing green ICT innovations and solutions. CSCI’s goal to achieve a 50 percent reduction in power consumption by computers and reduce 4 million tons of carbon emission over the next three years can be a potential supplement towards India’s low carbon growth,” said Ravi Singh, co-chairman of CSCI India and CEO and secretary general of WWF India.

“With the projected increase in the numbers and extent of usage of IT equipment, it is essential that this industry becomes fully conscious of the implications of these developments for increased energy consumption. It is, therefore, imperative that the industry takes the lead in bringing about innovation that would ensure high levels of efficiency in the operations of IT equipment through its entire lifecycle,” said Dr R K Pachauri, chairman, Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and director-general, TERI.

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative licensed its name from the World Wildlife Fund Climate Savers program, which involves several leading companies working to reduce their carbon footprint.