Google's top energy executive has offered some simple steps for making data centers more energy-efficient, including raising the thermostat to 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to cut down on cooling costs.

A group of 47 companies and organizations, including several in the IT sector, have asked U.S. President Barack Obama to take new steps that would allow homeowners and businesses to better monitor their energy use.

Organizations seeking ways to conserve energy and profit from being green may find the true gains won’t come from "greening" their data centers, but rather by maximizing the efficiency of their supply chains, said Peter Graf, the chief sustainability officer for SAP.

Alcatel-Lucent wants the telecommunications industry to turn a little more green by developing new equipment that cuts power consumption by a factor of 1,000.

In a year where money was tight, organisations were increasingly embracing green technology that improved efficiencies and reduced cost. And with increased Government pressure on environmental issues, green IT was a hot topic in 2009.

Australia’s dependence on fossil fuel has pushed the country down to fourth-tier on IDC’s new ICT Sustainability Index.

Helsinki public energy company Helsingin Energia will recycle heat from a new data center to help generate energy and deliver hot water for the Finnish capital city, it said on Monday.

The pressure to achieve business efficiency and sustainability is piled on IT managers more than anyone else in business, according to a new IDC survey.