Leading IT, media and energy firms joined forces today to announce the launch of the new Green Technology Initiative (GTI), a scheme designed to provide IT chiefs with information and advice to help them limit the environmental impact of their IT infrastructure.

Backed by five founding members - managed hosting specialist Carrenza, networking giant Cisco, electricity provider EDF Energy, network specialist Global Crossing and communications firm Saatchi & Saatchi Interactive - the new group will provide whitepapers, best practice advice, an online forum, seminars and events for IT managers keen to limit the carbon emissions associated with IT equipment.

Speaking from the Internet World conference in London where the GTI was launched, acting chair and CEO of Carrenza Dan Sutherland said that the initiative would meet growing demand from IT managers who are "keen to make their systems greener, but lack the information on how to do it".

A new survey of 100 IT chiefs from the GTI supported Sutherland's claims, finding that while over half of firms either had a plan to reduce carbon emissions or were thinking of launching one, less than 20 percent of IT chiefs felt that their IT department currently boasted high levels of energy efficiency.

However, with no whitepapers currently available and only five members on board the scheme is likely to face some criticism for treading on the toes of the already established Green Grid consortium, which hosted its first event last month and boasts 39 members globally, including industry heavyweights such as Intel, IBM, HP, Microsoft and AMD.

Sutherland insisted that more vendors were expected to join GTI over the next six months as the founding members begin to "put the meat on the bones" of the initiative through new white papers and the launch of an online forum that will allow IT chiefs to share environmentally friendly best practices.

He also downplayed the suggestion that with many IT vendors already committed to providing information on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, the initiative would face stiff competition for IT managers' attention. "It is inevitable there will be different groups forming," he said. "But our aim is to make sure that this is not just about a commercial opportunity and that the best practice information is freely available."

Meanwhile, pressure on IT chiefs to limit their environmental impact is expected to increase further after 1,200 leading firms today pledged to reduce their carbon emissions as part of a new scheme backed by the Prince of Wales, Business in the Community and The Carbon Trust.

Launched at a summit at St James' Palace, the new May Day Company campaign aims to get businesses to commit to limiting their carbon emissions, increase pressure on their customers to do likewise and develop new products to help customers reduce their contribution to climate change.