Updates from Asia-Pacific. Click here for regional Green ICT updates from around the globe. Click on 'Asia-Pac' tag above for all news about the region. (Information about the ICT implications of Japan's earthquake and tsunami have been moved to its own post.)

2012

The deadline for entries in Hong Kong's 2012 Best Green ICT Award. The deadline for entry into the four categories is 6 February 2012. This is the first Green ICT award in China of which I am aware.

2011

ID-TELMIT 2012, billed as "Indonesia's Largest ICT & Media Convergence Conference & Expo", intends to cover how to "apply Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to other industrial fields such as Green Convergence, Smart Grid…" I see this as more evidence that the global ICT community is becoming increasingly focused on this opportunity. We will update this post as we get relevant material from the organizers.

China's focus on pollution from Apple suppliers, including Taiwan's Catcher Technology, has created a new focus on greener manufacturing of e-gear. Focus Taiwan, "The Minister of Economic Affairs urged local manufacturers Wednesday to go green, days after a Taiwanese supplier to Apple Inc. was ordered by the Chinese authorities to partially suspend operations at one of its facilities in China for causing air pollution. 'Manufacturers must have the concept of the "green supply chain" so as to maintain their long-term partnerships with an outstanding multinational enterprise,' said [the minister.]" (More on Apple manufacturing in China.)

According to Gartner, "By 2015, India's spending on green IT and sustainability initiatives will double from $35 billion in 2010 to $70 billion in 2015…India's information and communication technology (ICT) industry will be an early adopter of green IT and sustainability solutions as India is one of the fastest-growing markets in terms of IT hardware and communications infrastructure consumption…"

We given a lot of coverage to what happens to e-waste once it leaves its country of origin. A video from China Daily shows a more responsible approach to e-waste recycling.

Frost & Sullivan's 2011 Asia Pacific Green Excellence Awards honored companies in 28 categories. Surprisingly, only one was ICT related. "Technology Innovation in Data Centre Power Management" recognized Emerson Network Power. No specifics were cited by Frost & Sullivan.

Singapore's Sustainable Business Awards program offers Green IT Awards to "provide recognition to holistic green IT solutions, which meet the needs of business, ecology, and society." 2010 winners are IRAS, Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Trusted Hub Limited. The Awards web site does not appear to publish specific information what the winners accomplished to achieve this recognition, which is a missed opportunity to educate others. Award sponsors Singapore Business Federation, IBM, and Frost and Sullivan have also launched the Green IT Adoption Index Survey.

Indonesia is testing fuel cells to power off-grid telecommunications infrastructure. US manufacturer IdaTech reports, "In an effort to use alternative energy solutions that have a positive impact on the environment, more than 150 IdaTech backup power fuel cell systems have been installed on Hutchison Indonesia’s network instead of traditional diesel generators."

Sri Lanka's Information and Communications Technology Agency (ICTA) has launched a Green IT initiative to make the country "one of the most sustainable IT-BPO destinations in the world." The ICTA announced a grant program to encourage participants to obtain "obtain globally recognized [sustainability] accreditations." (BPO refers to 'business process outsourcing'.)

Desktop virtualization company NComputing announced that, "the Government of Punjab [India] has awarded it a contract to deliver desktop computing labs to 480 schools...The Government of Punjab sought to provide the maximum number of computer seats in each school at an affordable purchase price, with low ongoing maintenance costs. NComputing will deliver...75% less maintenance and 90% less energy consumption than traditional all-PC labs. NComputing devices only use 1 watt of electricity – an important advantage for the state of Punjab.

According to Pike Research, "the total installed base of smart meters in Asia Pacific will increase from 52.8 million in 2010 to 350.3 million by 2016, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37%…among countries in the region, China has the most ambitious goals for smart meter installations. By 2016…China will represent more than three-quarters of the installed base of smart meters in Asia Pacific, and the government has declared plans to continue a large-scale meter deployment through at least 2020. Japan, South Korea, and Australia will also represent large markets for smart meters."

Wipro (India) and Quanta (China) are the latest Asian companies to be recognized for supplying green computers. Wipro received a high mark for a desktop it submitted to Greenpeace's Green Electronics Survey. Wipro and Quanta both offer ENERGY STAR® qualified servers. Review Wipro's sustainability information and Quanta's CSR report

2007-2010
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