Use of online events more than doubled this year, says Greening Government ICT report

This year’s report also set a record for the number of departments and agencies taking part

The number of online events has more than doubled in the past year, a report from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has found.

According to the Greening Government ICT: Annual report 2021 to 2022 published alongside The HMG Sustainable Technology Advice and Reporting (STAR) team, 38 million e-conferences were recorded during the period.

The figure represents an increase from the 18.3 million recorded in 2020 which was directly affected by the initial work from home mandate as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns.

Moreover, during the 2018/19 period the figure was just 3.5 million, representing a tenfold increase.

This annual report sets out the progress government departments, agencies and public bodies have made in making their digital services and technologies more sustainable.

It also outlines the progress made since publishing the Greening government: ICT and digital services strategy which centres around how the government can provide responsible and resilient ICT and digital services to all its end users and customers.

DEFRA said 34 departments/agencies engaged with this year's report, up from 25 in the
previous year and 21 the year before.

Other key highlights found that 1.58 per cent of ICT resources were recorded as going to landfill, up 0.78 per cent from 18/19.

It added that with the exception of two, every department reported zero to landfill.

The number of items being reused (up 43 per cent) or recycled (up 30 per cent) have both increased significantly showing improved end of life management.

IT sustainability research and consulting organisation, Px3 applauded both the intention of the report and the progress identified.

"STAR pioneers, and is responsible for, the reduction of the government's ICT carbon footprint," said Adam Turner, UK Government & Public Sector Head Sustainable Digital & ICT, DEFRA.

"This is especially important within the supply chain when the majority of environmental impact occurs.

"Having access to never previously available scope 3 data is essential to evolving our policies, procurement practices, accurate government reporting and ensuring our technology partners focus on low carbon footprint production and supply."