The Green Notebook: Telus leads Canada in latest North American green carrier study

ABI Research has released a study called “North American Green Carriers”. Telus Corp came in 5th spot overall, followed by Rogers Communications Inc. at 6th place and then Bell at 7th. Each organization was analyzed by two parameters: innovation and implementation. Samsung Reclaim comes to Canada The Samsung Reclaim cellphone, now available in Canada on the Bell network, is made of corn-based bio-plastic and is 80% recyclable. It is not light on features either: a full QWERTY-keypad, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, 2.4-inch 320×240 display, and a 2-megapixel camera. Cellphone radiation levels vary widely, watchdog report says The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that all cellphones be rated at 1.6 watts per kilogram or lower – a measure of how much radio frequency energy is absorbed by the body when using the device. According to the FCCs Environmental Working Group, best and worst cellphones by energy emitted, respectively, in watts per kilogram, were the Samsung Impression SGH-a877, at 0.35, and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Bold 9000 at 1.51. Cisco continues global smart grid momentum Cisco Systems has announced further steps in its efforts to enable development of an end-to-end smart grid communications infrastructure. The company is creating the Cisco Smart Grid Ecosystem to facilitate the adoption of Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications standards, and already has an impressive list of partners, among them Accenture, AeroScout, Arcadian Networks, Capgemini, EMC, GE, Infosys Technologies, Siemens, Verizon, and Wipro. Cisco has also formed a Smart Grid Technical Advisory Board (TAB) made up of utility and energy companies from around the world. Better Place connects with Microsoft, Intel for electric vehicle software At the Frankfurt Motor Show, electric car charging start-up Better Place unveiled software that will be partly developed by partners Microsoft Corp, Intel Corp and German auto company Continental AG. Better Place has created a vehicle-based system called “AutoOS” that delivers an energy plan for each driver and finds the closest charging and battery swap station. Cars will also have an always-on connection enabling the Better Place network to connect with the vehicle for such things as updates and billing. IBM and Aberdeen Research offer new online green IT assessment tool IBM and Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company, announced the availability of a new online assessment tool designed specifically for organizations seeking to improve their green IT capabilities, performance and ROI. The tool, which utilizes Aberdeen’s primary research in green IT and sustainability, helps companies identify potential areas for improvement, including server and data centre virtualization, energy efficiency, and end-user collaboration. It also recommends steps that companies should take to address these capabilities and achieve ROI from their green IT investments. Nokia named most sustainable Nokia is the world’s most sustainable technology company, according to the latest edition of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. Already rated for several years as the leader within the Europe and Communications categories, this year Nokia was also chosen as “World Technology Supersector Leader,” making it No. 1 across the entire global technology sector. The UK government’s green IT progress According to Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith, the UK Government has saved at least $C12 million over the past year by making its IT systems greener, cutting the carbon footprint of central government computers by 12,000 tons. The news was greeted with some skepticism: it represents about ½ of 1% of all Whitehall emissions, doesn’t track the supply chain, and includes such measures as turning off computers at night – a little overdue, perhaps? – and shortening the technology refresh cycle, which may keep less efficient technology around for longer. Software for counting carbon and controlling costs By applying its SIRA (sustainability indicator reporting application) software tool to its own corporate operations, UK software firm Logica says it has cut its travel expenditure by $12 million, or 30%, by extricating deeper, previously inaccessible information about staff travel patterns. Logica says there is an accompanying cut in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as an overall reduction in the travel and communications budget. Carbonetworks, IBM, SAP and one or two other software developers have also created carbon or environmental management systems that they say go well beyond existing corporate environment, health and safety (EH&S) software or carbon footprint calculators. Sustainability in business The Boston Consulting Group and MIT Sloan Management Review have reported that 92% of companies are addressing sustainability, but less than 30% have a clear business case. Biggest drivers: legislation, consumers and employees.

The Green Notebook: Telus leads Canada in latest North American green carrier study

News | September 25, 2009

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