As the world’s political attention has turned to the environment and issues of global warming, the ICT industry is presented with big challenges – as well as potentially huge opportunities.

Technology has been a double edge sword in the environmental movement. The tech industry is a big energy user globally, and consequently a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

But the tech industry is a critical part of the solution – both through the reduction of its own energy needs, as well as in designing and producing new tools that help other economic sectors reduce their own emissions levels.

Investment in Green technology research and development is one of the hottest sectors of the ICT industry. Corporate customers, responding to the demands of their own markets, are demanding green solutions.

Industry collaborations are quickly forming as companies work together to find solutions for common problems. Green Grid, for example, includes industry giants like IBM, HP, Intel and Microsoft among others, and aims to improve the energy efficiency of power-hungry data centres – one of the biggest issues currently facing tech service providers.

Information technology is fundamental to all efforts toward improving energy efficiency and sustainable practices across all industries.

Green Technology Expo at CeBIT Australia 2008 provides a specialist showcase of product and service innovations aimed squarely at the Green market. From new energy efficient hardware, to software monitoring systems, to communications and collaboration solutions, the Green Technology Expo at CeBIT Australia 2008 aims to provide a platform for companies to display environment-friendly innovation.