By Paula Gulak,
President
The Gulak Group
Gulak@comcast.net
IT Sustainability Summit set for Nov. 12 at the Jefferson Hotel
I have been talking about Green IT since November 2007, when this column referred to a list that had been composed at The Gartner Group’s October ’07 Symposium. It highlighted the top 10 technologies and trends strategic for most organizations in the coming 18-36 months. First on that October 2007 List was Green IT.
Well, here we are a year later and one might say nothing has changed except the color and availability of money! We continue to consume energy at an all time high and, whether through the rebirth of an appreciation of green or through government controls regarding carbon emissions, energy balancing, etc., we, as companies and as communities, still need to realize we are all in it together – and it goes beyond the data center.
That having been said, you can imagine how excited I was to receive an email from the Greater Richmond Technology Council which opened with: “What is corporate social responsibility?” “What’s my company’s carbon footprint and why should I care?” “What are the best practices for implementing a sustainability initiative at my company?” “How does a sustainability program at my company add to the bottom line?”
The Greater Richmond Technology Council (GRTC) seeks to answer these questions and highlight the sustainability initiatives going on throughout the region and the nation at their Sustainability Summit to be held on November 12th at the Jefferson Hotel. Key sponsors of the event are TechTurn and Peak10; additional supporters are EMC, HP, SyCom, The McIntyre School/UVA, Emerson Network Power, Osage Bio Energy, Bon Secours and Watt Shifters/Good Watts.
The conference will open with remarks by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and, Dominion Power CIO and Council Chair, Lyn McDermid. Opening remarks will be followed by panel discussions; these will focus on “How Big is Your Carbon Footprint,” “Implementing and Best Practices for Going Green” and “Energy – Conservation vs. Reliability”. Participants on the panels include Dave Lobato , LaserJet Business Sustainability and Environmental Programs Manager for the Imaging and Printing Group at Hewlett Packard, Eddie Riddell, CEO of All Associates Group, Jean Peters, Senior Vice President - Strategic Analysis & Planning, Dominion and Guy Chapman, Managing Director, Dominion.
Dave Lobato, as HP’s Environmental Program manager, leads and drives key environmental initiatives within the LaserJet and HP Corporate arenas and was the developer of the HP Carbon Footprint Calculator.
In addition to what should prove to be provocative and informative panel discussions, the November 12th Summit will be the platform for the presentation of the Council’s first – and destined to become Annual – Sustainability Awards. The awards will highlight businesses in the Central Virginia Region that perform exemplary sustainable business practices in their day to day operations. Two awards will be presented; one for Sustainability Leadership and one for Technology Sustainability. Please visit the Council’s website (www.richtech.com) to learn more about the award criteria and process.
This will be a good event! You should put the Summit on your calendar – and encourage those persons closely aligned with Green initiatives and sustainability in your organization to attend. Once again, it will be held at the Jefferson Hotel, November 12th from 7:30am – 3pm. Please visit the Council’s website for specifics and to register (www.richtech.com )
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