BASDA launches Green Charter

Today sees the announcement of a major initiative on ‘green IT’ from the Business Application Software Developers Association (BASDA), the voice of the UK software industry.

The BASDA Green Charter makes a clear commitment from members who are driving the switch to a carbon efficient economy, both within their own organisations and through their software solutions which power the processes that enable global business.

The launch of the BASDA Green Charter is being supported by over 25 BASDA members ranging in size from Sage through to small specialist providers.

“As a member-focused organisation we noticed that there was a demand for clarity around what green IT involves exactly – both for members and our customers. Up to now the IT debate has largely focused on hardware and telecommunications, missing the point that it is business software which will drive and record the improvement in the carbon efficiency of the economy as a whole. What has been missing is a common agreement on what must be achieved and what standards and measurement have to be put in place. The BASDA Green Charter aims to fill this void,” commented Peter Robertshaw, VP, Global Marketing, Strategic Thought Group and co-chairman of the BASDA Green special interest group.

“The Green Charter is the latest in a long line of BASDA initiatives which seek to bring clarity and simplicity for both software vendors and their customers. In the past we have had great success working together as an industry on subjects as diverse as European Monetary Union, e-Business and Sarbanes Oxley. BASDA is uniquely placed to take on the challenge of one of the most important issues facing business today. We will work with bodies like the European Commission to ensure targets can be met - whilst still recognising the need for continued economic growth,” said Jairo Rojas, Director General of BASDA.

 “The European Commission has acknowledged the important part the business software providers must play. They are the catalysts to enable all sectors of the economy to become more carbon efficient without stifling growth. ICT must be used in innovative ways. We are pleased to be working closely with BASDA and applaud this initiative,” commented John Doyle, sustainable development policy co-ordinator of the EU Information Society.

The BASDA Green Charter launched today covers four main areas: a commitment for software companies themselves to strive to be more carbon efficient; a pledge to deliver software innovations to drive customers’ carbon efficiency; a strategy to work with other relevant bodies to create common standards to aid rapid action; an acknowledgement of the role BASDA and its members must play in increasing awareness around the issues and solutions. The Green Charter is supported by a BASDA special interest group focused purely on green issues which links with the other BASDA groups covering topics such as logistics and e-business.

Companies supporting the BASDA Green Charter launch cover a wide spectrum of business solutions and include @UK plc, Access Accounting, accountsiq, Acorah Software Products,  Business-Work-Ware (Docusoft), Causeway Technologies, COA Solutions, Document Engineering Services, Forbes Computer Systems, GCrypt Ltd, Inovis, Invu, Keytime, Maginus, Mamut, Moore Krickl International, Pegasus, Proteus, PS Financials, Pyramid HR Ltd, Qtac, Sage, Sapphire, TeamSpirit Software, Wise Software (OrderWise) and Version One.

Signatories will display the BASDA Green Charter logo and will provide environmental advice on their web-sites, products and collateral. This will highlight companies with a firm green commitment and products developed to drive carbon efficiency.

Paul Stobart, CEO Sage UK & Ireland commented, “We fully support this initiative and believe there is a real part for software providers to play in order to benefit UK businesses, large and small. We know from our own research that environmental issues are important to our customers and there is clearly a real need for us all to be working to common standards and measurements so that our customers will see real meaning to carbon accounting.”

Linda Rodway, Market Development Manager, Proteus Software stated, “The BASDA Green Charter is an excellent initiative to help bring clarity and standards to the green debate. It will be useful for customers and potential customers to compare the level of commitment by software providers.”

Kathryne Jobling, Operations Director, Pegasus said, “The BASDA Green Charter will hopefully drive all business software developers to provide more green capabilities into new versions of their existing products, so that they are within easy reach of customers. With Document Management solutions, you can significantly reduce paper waste and minimise your impact on the environment. Climate change gives the ICT industry the impetus to truly enable what it has long promised – the paper-less working environment. At Pegasus we have embedded this technology into the latest release of our Opera II solution.”

Kevin Misselbrook, Customer Services Director, Access Accounting Ltd. commented, “At Access Accounting we have already delivered tools that provide carbon measurement and management as an integral part of our financial software.   We see the BASDA Green Charter as a way to encourage the whole software industry to deliver solutions to better inform the full range of business processes. This will enable customers to make better business decisions which can have real environmental impact.”