Saving the world with IT
The computer companies who could help stop climate change
AS WORLD LEADERS PREPARE FOR THE COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE (6-18 December), activists are turning their attention to corporate leaders. According to Greenpeace, the IT and communications sector creates two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. “The IT industry will actually profit from strong emission reduction targets so it’s in their best interests to put their weight behind a strong deal at Copenhagen,” argues Greenpeace’s Prajna Khanna. Here are their top five green business heroes with the power to save the planet.
1. IBM’s Samuel J Palmisano The computing giant’s CEO scores well, thanks in part to IBM’s Smarter Planet programme.
2. HP’s Mark Hurd The Hewlett-Packard chairman has increased advocacy for climate legislation.
3. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s new offerings, such as a home energy meter and a study into the benefits of digital music and online delivery of software improves his score on the Greenpeace leaderboard.
4. Google’s Eric Schmidt A top scorer on climate advocacy, Schmidt’s rating is undermined by Google’s choice not to disclose its own greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Cisco Systems’ John T Chambers Cisco continues to promote its climate solutions without providing full figures of net savings.
