Sustainable electronics a growing trend in state and local government

Published: September 03, 2019

Contracting TrendsCybersecurityData CenterEnergy EfficiencyGeneral Government ServicesGreen ITInformation TechnologyInformation TechnologyNetwork ServicesProcurementTelecommunicationsTransportation

The practice of purchasing sustainable technology products is picking up steam in state and local IT offices around the country.

Sustainability advocates have noted that state and city government IT offices have increased their purchasing of sustainable technology products as of late. Technology leaders are acquiring more desktops, monitors, networking equipment, and other products that omit toxic materials and reduce energy consumption, while still performing as we as non-sustainable products.

Organizations, such as the Green Electronics Council (GEC), continue to work with manufacturers and purchasers to advocate for products that meet sustainability standards and to encourage buyers to make these products a priority. GEC also manages the EPEAT program, which is a global ecolabel for the IT sector. EPEAT offers an online registry of sustainable products from a range of manufacturers that allows purchasers to find products that meet sustainability standards.

One question that remains, however, is the balancing between sustainability and maintaining performance capabilities. Various critical services, such as utilities, transportation, and public safety, require 100% up-time and therefore rely on continued and consistent performance from the various networking and data storage equipment. With areas such as these, governments cannot afford to sacrifice performance for sustainability improvements, so it is critical that green products maintain capabilities on par with non-sustainable products. IT leaders also have expressed concern that focusing on sustainability could distract them from other important matters, such as security. Especially with a growing number of cyberattacks against state and local governments, maintaining performance and security capabilities will remain a priority in government technology, so sustainable products must continue to maintain high standards in both areas to ensure governments continue to make sustainable purchasing a priority as well.

Source: StateScoop