Consortium Green-IT Amsterdam Region
On June 8, the inaugural meeting of the Consortium Green IT Amsterdam Region took place. Through a joint approach by the ICT sector in the Amsterdam region, the consortium wants to achieve concrete results in reducing CO2 emissions and energy use.
Maarten van Poelgeest, Alderman of Climate and Energy of the Municipality of Amsterdam, opened the inaugural meeting. Anwar Osseyran, Managing Director of SARA and Vancis, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Consortium Green IT Amsterdam Region, presented the vision of the foundation and introduced the board members. Thereafter, Jan Willem Tellegen, director of the foundation, presented the concrete activities of the foundation. Finally, at the end of the official program, about 25 participants signed the agreements.
The ICT sector, in particular the many data centers in the region, is itself a major electricity user. The ambition is to reduce the use of electricity far-reaching in a sustainable manner. ICT can also significantly contribute to more sustainable businesses, households and mobility through smart new applications for sustainable energy consumption. In addition, ICT plays an important role in the energy sector in the production, distribution and in making the use of energy sustainable and efficient.
'Green IT' is a growth sector with an important role in the development of a sustainable growth economy in Amsterdam and in the establishment of a powerful aura of the Amsterdam region as ‘Green IT region’.
Ultimate objective of the consortium is to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions by 40 percent in 2025 in comparison with the emissions of 1990. This is in line with the climate policy of the Municipality of Amsterdam. Companies, institutions and governments are invited to participate in the foundation.
The consortium has started with a number of concrete projects aiming at, among others, the realization of a sustainable innovative data processing infrastructure in the region, supporting a new market for smart energy services for businesses and households, and supporting pilots for the electricity grid of the future.
One of the initiatives of the consortium is OZZO, an Energy Self Sufficient Data Center concept. This concept was first presented to a wide audience during the World Congress on Information Technology that took place from 25 to 27 May 2010 at the RAI in Amsterdam. Typical of this concept is that frequently used data is being stored at a location close to the user, so that data can be accessed rapidly. OZZO proposes various ecological, architectural masterpieces which are using wind and solar energy with sites in the spatial environment that have never been used for this purpose. The result: optimal data efficiency without energy use and CO2 emissions.
The consortium is financially supported by the Climate Office of the Municipality of Amsterdam.
More information: www.greenitamsterdam.nl