Global banking giant HSBC has for the first time revealed details of its ambitious green IT strategy.

The bank is launching trials of new technology, benchmarking data centre energy consumption and reviewing the environmental credentials of its suppliers.

HSBC environmental adviser Francis Sullivan says the firm’s IT plan shows that energy efficiency initiatives are an investment rather than a cost.

‘IT directors need to look for win-win situations, which means choosing the right IT solution to reduce energy consumption and cost to the business while reducing CO2 emissions,’ he said.

‘Already we are seeing carbon dioxide savings and an increase in energy efficiency as a result of the measures in place.’

Sullivan says it is easy for companies to make green policies and commitments, but harder to actually implement environmental IT strategies. ‘Even though it’s a challenge it’s clear to us that IT is critical to the solution,’ he said.

HSBC spends up to 10 times more on energy efficiency measures, such as technology upgrades, than on offsetting carbon dioxide emissions.

Environment Council chief executive Mike King says the bank is demonstrating corporate leadership by using offsetting as a last resort.

‘It’s relatively easy to become carbon neutral by offsetting but using technology to become more energy efficient will have a far more profound effect,’ he said.

Technology and behavioural change are needed for a successful environmental programme, and without both organisations will struggle, says King.

‘The best scenario is a committed workforce alongside technology investment and innovation which allows that workforce to carry out a commitment to energy efficiency,’ he said.

Green IT is about cost savings as much as environmentalism, says Butler Group research analyst Mark Blowers

‘If a company can avoid building another data centre from being more energy efficient, it could save tens of millions of pounds,’ he said, ‘Well-run companies have these types of initiative already in place but the issue is gaining momentum and becoming much more high-profile.’