IT chiefs are keen to go green, but saving money rather than concern about climate change is their key motivator, according to exclusive research by Computer Business Review.

<p>An encouraging 92% of the 300 senior UK IT decision-makers surveyed by CBR said they wanted to make their firm&#0039;s IT infrastructure more green.<br /><br />Almost half the respondents were motivated by making better use of server and storage capacity, while almost 10% were mainly looking to cut power costs.<br /><br />Concern about the environment only registered as one of a host of reasons listed in the other category, mentioned as a reason for becoming more green by just three respondents out of 300.<br /><br />But while general worry about climate change isn&#0039;t greatly affecting behavior, explicit government and board-level pressure are beginning to bite. Complying with the EC Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment recycling directive was cited by 16% of respondents as a major influence on IT strategy, and a similar number said they were under pressure from management to be more ethical.<br /><br />Figures from the US Environmental Protection Agency make it clear why server and storage capacity is such a target area for IT. According to the EPA, US servers and data centers have doubled their electricity usage in five years, gobbling up $4.5bn of power last year, while storage power consumption grew 20% between 2000 and 2006. And the picture is no different in the UK, where the cost of power is forcing IT decision-makers to put green initiatives higher up their agendas.</p>