Sunday, 21 March 2010
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Central Government
OGCIO reveals 2010 priorities at FutureGov Forum HK
Hong Kong’s Government Chief Information Officer Jeremy Godfrey laid out his department’s plans for this year and beyond at the FutureGov Forum Hong Kong this week (Tuesday, March 9th 2010). Joined-up government, driving greater efficiencies, exploiting opportunities of cloud and social computing, and using IT to tackle climate change will be the “big five policy drivers” for Godfrey’s team in 2010.
Central Government
New Korean IT Agency President reveals priorities
Korea’s National Computing and Information Agency has placed cloud ...
Green Government
Korea hails California’s govt IT strategy
The South Korean government’s Director of Green IT has ...
25 January 2010 | Spotlight
The next generation of green technologies
The need for climate and environment friendly initiatives has been well-documented in recent years: if businesses go on as usual, with no regard to the adverse impact their processes may have on the earth, the result will be natural disasters on an unprecedented scale.
19 January 2010 | News
OGCIO leads green IT in HK
Hong Kong’s Office of Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) has been looking at how it can reduce the environmental impact of its public sector. Speaking exclusively to FutureGov, GCIO Jeremy Godfrey revealed the opportunities and challenges of green IT initiatives.
13 January 2010 | News
Korea e-govt helps cut emissions by 10%
The Korean government aims to reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent by 2012. Young-il Kwon, Director, Green IT Department, National Information Society Agency (NIA) revealed to FutureGov how the public sector will lead the way by greening its IT system.
5 January 2010 | Feature
Schools: The Public sector’s green Champions
169 education executives participated in a FutureGov Research survey on the future trends transforming teaching and learning in June. The results, from 13 countries across Asia Pacific, will have put a smile on the faces of tree huggers.
29 December 2009 | News
Queensland schools eye 30 per cent energy savings
Queensland’s Department of Education and Training aims to reduce the energy consumption of its state schools by 30 per cent by 2012. Cam Mackenzie, Principal Advisor for Environmental Sustainability, Queensland Department of Education and Training, told FutureGov how the department plans to achieve this and detailed the challenges it must overcome.
14 December 2009 | Interview
NZ local govt boosts communications
The City Council of Porirua in New Zealand has implemented organisational changes with a strong emphasis on improving communications among its staff, 30 per cent of whom mobile as well as with residents of the city. It is also quite innovate in greening its IT operations.
10 December 2009 | News
British Library unveils futuristic storage facility
The £26m building will keep literary records in a safe, high-density environment with automated storing and retrieval by robots governed by algorithm
29 November 2009 | News
Malaysian hospital revamps data centre architecture
A practical approach to address the issues of down time and insufficient cooling which had been troubling Sunway Medical Centre’s IT department for a number of years
10 November 2009 | News
Govt calls IT industry’s green bluff
IT industry leaders are not doing enough to deal with electronic waste, governments, environmental activists, and community groups have claimed.
13 October 2009 | News
Standards up at Government Technology Awards 2009
Winners at the Government Technology Awards 2009 have received praised for the “very high quality” of entries, particularly from developing countries in the region. However, there is still room for improvement in the Green Government category, noted Laurence Millar, former Government Chief Information Officer of…
5 October 2009 | News
South Korea greens national data centres
South Korea has committed to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of its national data centre by 18 per cent by 2013.
22 September 2009 | Spotlight
Three ways to go green: Fuji Xerox
Fuji Xerox recently launched The Eco Solution that will empower organisations to reduce cost, improve productivity, strengthen security and save the ecosphere in one seamless and efficient workflow with our know-how in document management.
15 September 2009 | News
Chinese city embraces paperless culture
The Office of Chengdu Environmental Protection Agency in Sichuan Province in China is pushing for public sector agencies to embrace paperless office culture. The idea is to improve operational efficiencies and reduce the government’s impact on the environment.
8 September 2009 | News
Malaysia rethinks green technology strategy
Malaysia’s new inter-ministerial green technology council has promised to galvanise efforts to form an integrated national green strategy.
25 August 2009 | News
South Korea to launch smart offices
South Korea’s civil servants will be able to work in smart working centres in their own neighbourhood instead of commuting to their offices, according to Dr Kim Seang-Tae, President of the National Information Agency (NIA).
7 July 2009 | News
Poor progress for Britain’s green govt strategy
A recent study by an environmental non-governmental organisation has highlighted the inadequacies of Britain’s green government strategy initiated a year ago.
6 July 2009 | News
Green mandate for China's civil servants
Government workers in China must start going green in order to keep their jobs. So says He Jiankun, Deputy Head, Committee of Experts, at the National Climate Change Coordination Committee.
1 July 2009 | Spotlight
Going Green – the Eco-Smart Way: Fuji Xerox
A green office is no longer just an indication of an organisation’s responsibility to the environment, and it is not just the IT department’s problem. The business case for a green office, in terms of reduced costs, improved efficiency and greater security controls is easy to see.
30 June 2009 | Spotlight
HP proposes a path to greener printing
Public sector organisations are often expected to take the lead in environmental sustainability. With tightening budgets and rising energy costs, green initiatives are seen as critical, if not necessary. And it is not just for branding reasons. Green initiatives can reap much desired cost savings in a challenging economic climate.
23 June 2009 | News
Supply chain management key to green govt: analyst
Supply-chain management software has a key role to play in helping the public sector meet its green mandate - but the products available are far from mature, according to analyst firm Ovum.
14 May 2009 | News
South Korea Commits to Green Investment
The Green Growth Commission announced yesterday (13 May) that the South Korean government will commit to spending 12.6 trillion won (US$10 billion) to develop environmental technology in the next five years.
6 May 2009 | News
Asian govts must urgently adapt to climate change: ADB
Governments in Asia Pacific must urgently develop strategies to adapt to climate change or face soaring economic costs in the future, a seminar audience heard at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) this week.
4 May 2009 | News
Malaysian youth: least concerned about climate change
A survey has revealed that 67 per cent of Asia’s eight to 24 year-olds are concerned about the effects of climate change, however 13 per cent of young Malaysians said they do not believe that the climate is changing.
28 April 2009 | News
China's local govts embrace green procurement
China’s State Council has asked local governments to buy more energy-efficient products, reflecting the country’s determination to make its economic growth cleaner.
22 April 2009 | News
Government to buck trend for cutting green IT
Governments are expected to buck an industry-wide trend for diverting spend away from green IT projects due to the global economic downturn, according to IT analyst Gartner.
10 April 2009 | News
Philippine president orders state agencies to cut waste
Cut government waste. Tighten your belts. Live within your means. Those were the orders of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to all government departments and agencies to save money for food, fuel and rice subsidies for the poorest of the poor.
7 April 2009 | News
Govts invest in fuel-saving air traffic system
Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the US are among the countries to have supported the adoption of a new technology to reduce fuel consumption - and so carbon dioxide emissions - of air traffic.
30 March 2009 | News
Record Earth Hour participation from Asia’s governments
Many countries and municipalities switch off lights for an hour in support of the WWF-led initiative
24 March 2009 | News
Singapore takes green roads route
Japan, United States and the UK have been using recycled materials to build roads for sometime - now Singapore’s roads are going green too.
10 March 2009 | News
Singapore agency saves millions through Green IT
SINGAPORE’S Land Transport Authority has saved over US$5.55 million since embarking on its Green IT initiative.
2 March 2009 | News
Rising to governments’ data centre energy challenge
Green energy projects have come under mounting pressure as the economic situation worsens, but governments should be thinking about energy conservation now more than ever, insists a consultant at APC, the Schneider-owned cooling services giant.
27 February 2009 | News
Green Growth Commission launched in Korea
Korean President Lee Myung-bak has announced the launch of an agency – the Green Growth Commission – which has a brief to implement the country’s vision for “low carbon, green growth”.
18 February 2009 | News
Japan govt revises "green purchase" law
The Japanese government has revised its guidelines for the so-called ‘‘green purchase’’ law, which requires offices of government ministries and agencies to use environmentally friendly products for designated equipment.
26 November 2008 | News
ADB funds green projects in India
The Asian Development Bank is to help set up a fund that will mobilise financing for energy efficiency projects in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
25 November 2008 | News
Queensland pilots clean coal burning
A pilot programme in the Australian state of Queensland aims to burn coal more cleanly by capturing and storing carbon dioxide. This demonstration plant is the first of its kind to burn coal in oxygen instead of air.
11 November 2008 | Deals
UAE signs environmental pledge
UAE pledges for presevation and sustainability along with United Nations, IAHC and LG Electronics.
30 October 2008 | News
Australian govt’s carbon plan
Australia’s plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions through carbon trade will not be the “company killer” feared by business and no major polluters will be forced to move offshore, the government said.
15 October 2008 | News
Taiwan recycles 50 per cent of its e-waste
Taiwan has seen a dramatic increase in the volume of waste electronic and electrical products in recent years. Following several years of implementation of the “4-in-1” recycling scheme, the recycling rate of these products has now surpassed an impressive 50 per cent. Working to put the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system into full play, and make recycling targets more easily achievable, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is actively guiding manufacturers in the setting up of self-administered recycling, clearance and treatment systems.
14 October 2008 | Feature
Green office: reducing government’s environmental impact
How civil servants can reduce their carbon footprint by working smarter and greener in the office.
13 October 2008 | Research
Does green IT really help you save money?
83 per cent of respondents stated that going green results in cost savings, while 17 per cent believed that green measures are not necessarily cost efficient.
12 October 2008 | News
Singapore earmarks US$4 million to train energy managers
The National Environment Agency (NEA) in Singapore has set up a US$4 million grant to help defray the course fee of the Singapore Certified Energy Manager training programme. The grant will cover a substantial part of the training cost at the Professional Level.
9 October 2008 | News
Korean govt spurs green rooftop plans
In a bid to ‘greening’ Seoul, the city government has been encouraging building owners to construct rooftop gardens as one of its “green Seoul” projects.
9 October 2008 | News
Nature-based enterprises to help rural poor
Expanding nature-based enterprises can increase income for the world’s rural poor. This approach, as outlined in World Resources Report 2008, can also develop the rural poor’s resilience to social and environmental threats such as climate change.
5 October 2008 | News
Reducing IT carbon footprint by 80-90 per cent
‘Carbon Calculator’ and online ‘Server Consolidation Analysis Resource’ released.
2 October 2008 | News
Queensland ICT Industry Launches Green Initiatives
More than 170 Information Technology leaders from government and business participated in the launch of a new Green IT Industry Special Interest Group (SIG) and Taskforce in Brisbane to help the ICT industry move from discussion on Green IT to action and best practice.
1 October 2008 | Interview
Green management makes sense for polytechnic
One of Singapore’s tertiary education institutes has a long-standing commitment to go green, shares Andre Ahchak, Deputy Director, Nanyang Polytechnic.
9 September 2008 | News
Queensland govt tenants offices at green building
Queensland Government’s Crime and Misconduct Commission, and Collection House will hold its offices at Brisbane’s Green Square Complex’s North Tower.
Billed as one of the world’s most environmentally friendly office developments, North Tower, part of the US$230 million Complex, has its own gas-driven power plant, was built using recycled timber and steel, and will save 1.7 million litres of water a year.
2 September 2008 | News
UAE authorities emphasise importance of green buildings
Ali bin Towaih says, “The EGBC goal this year is to align its members from the industry with local and Federal Government initiatives. The partnership will be the council’s way of conducting business with its stakeholders in addition to its role in public awareness.”
1 September 2008 | Deals
Fuji Xerox pushes green IT solutions
Fuji Xerox has just launched a range of multifunction devices – focusing on efficiency, security and crucially, the environment.
29 August 2008 | Feature
The rise and rise of green printing
Amelia Kwok reviews solutions that can help largescale public sector organisations conserve energy, reduce waste, and use other environmentally-friendly features.
29 August 2008 | News
India launches national environment portal
Sam Pitroda, Chairman of India’s National Knowledge Commission, has launched the India Environment Portal, a one-stop information resource centre aimed to promote informed decision-making and environmentally sustainable practices.
29 August 2008 | Research
Having everyone equipped with PCs has green flaws
Across the globe, the number of personal computers in use has exceeded one billion and the figures will double by 2014. This development will account for PCs dumped into landfills without consideration for its toxic content, says Meike Escherich, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner.
27 August 2008 | News
Free green power for Canadian government IT
Canada’s provincial governments are setting the wheels in motion to move their IT processing to greener IT data centres that are powered by renewable hydro-electricity.
11 August 2008 | News
Local government takes the lead in US
Green initiatives are being given a push from the bottom upwards in Arizona. Don Stapley Supervisor of Maricopa County says, “We want counties to be a catalyst for the change in the mindset of Americans.
3 August 2008 | Feature
IT recycling
As awareness about toxic e-waste grows, more of the region’s government agencies are promoting the message of re-use and recycle.
1 August 2008 | News
Hong Kong’s administration works under green roofs
With environmental policies in place since the 1980s, a number of Hong Kong’s government departments—Hong Kong Government’s Architectural Services Department (ASD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA)—have been actively pushing for green buildings.
25 July 2008 | News
Singapore's polytechnic wins green recognition
The education sector in Singapore has been using technology for environmental purposes with Singapore Polytechnic (SP) clinching top honours at the Singapore Environmental and Social Reporting Awards organised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Survey of the Week
Should social media posts by civil servants count as public records?
Most highly rated
Building a healthy Malaysia
Like many of its neighbours, Malaysia has been experiencing changing disease patterns. The era of ...
Should govts archive social media posts?
It is fashionable for government agencies to have a Facebook or Twitter account these days ...
Korea tops UN recession-time e-govt rankings
South Korea has led the world in how governments have used ICT to give citizens ...