While the overall goal of a 25 per cent reduction is to be made up of a series of specific reductions and technology adoptions, it's not the complexity or the granularity that Mitchell finds challenging; it's the dynamics of growth.

"The most challenging aspect of the exercise is that the base line isn't static," he said. "At the same time as you're driving overall efficiencies, overall volumes are continuing to move, and you need to account for that growth."

A strong business case

Despite the challenges, Gerard Florian, CTO of integrator Dimension Data, said it is very much in the interests of channel players and the IT industry generally to adopt sustainable business practices.

"To many CIOs and technology managers this whole green business thing is a bit of an annoyance, they've got too many other things to worry about like cost risk and complexity," he said. "But CIOs that worry about cost, without thinking about carbon emissions, are about to get a very rude shock. The cost of power is set to grow, and if they aren't thinking about power consumption now, they are going to face big problems in the future."

Far from balking at green business practices, Florian suggested integrators and internal IT departments should be positioning themselves as sustainable solution providers, as in many cases information technology will provide answers that business needs to cut back on power consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

"Look at what videoconferencing can do in terms of reduction in travel and enabling staff to work from home," he said. "Look at the way technology can provide a more flexible approach to the way we relate to customers and business partners alike."

Florian said substantial opportunity existed for companies to adopt sustainable business practices internally and then deliver such process improvements to their customer base.

"It's not just marketing and it's not just a distraction because carbon emissions are beginning to appear on calls for tender," he said. "What we're seeing as a new business model today will soon be business as usual. This is IT's chance not just to get a seat at the table, but to lead the transition."

So what was once at the fringe of business is moving steadily towards the centre. We are finally paying attention to the effect we are having on the planet; now is the time to look at how that will impact on they way you do business.

There is already strong industry consensus that companies who don't make the transition voluntarily today will be forced to do so by increased energy costs and carbon trading legislation in the future.

So as environmentally sustainable business practices become business as usual, your choice is whether to jump early and control where you land, or wait to be pushed.