Global Mobile Awards' Green Mobile Awards are for "mobile industry organisations that are focused on the reduction of environmental impacts through eco-friendly, innovative policies, products, programmes or initiatives, as well as organisations outside of the industry that utilise the mobile platform to communicate, innovate or drive eco-friendly programmes, services and initiatives." Past winners include

There appears to be little consistent information for evaluating manufacturer claims about green phones and other mobile devices and much of that is dated. We've added newer rankings, but left the original ones here for those looking at older phones.

As we learn that most ICT impact occurs outside of the data center, understanding the the impact of "CT" becomes as important as that of "IT". GÉANT, the multi-gigabit pan-European research and education (R&E) network, has completed an GHG audit of its network backbone using the ISO 14063 standard. Its report both offers insights and raises questions.

Recent posts about "green" cloud computing generated lots of response. The issue: what is "green" and "clean" energy?

Vertatique includes GreenICT progress and issues from outside the United States. Here are some updates from this region. Click here for more Green ICT news and analysis from this and all the regions around the world.

German software giant SAP announced continued progress toward its goal "to reduce its total carbon emissions to the year-2000 emissions level". Key is "significant progress in improving energy efficiencies in data centers through the use of data center design, virtualization technology and efficient hardware. The company’s largest data centers have been certified as “energy efficient” by the German standards organization TÜV Rheinland."

The European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics' October 2009 issue of ERCIM News has a Green ICT theme. It contains articles on energy-efficient networking and storage, data center operations, and other Green ICT topics.

I wrote last year about Verne Global's selection of Iceland as a location for a green data center based on the country's location-specific attributes. Recent news about the large ash emissions from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano prompted me to check back with the company. Lisa Rhodes, VP of Marketing and Sales at Verne Global, offered insight on both siting and operational issues.

Iceland appeared on our Green ICT radar last year when Verne Global cited the "Icelandic Advantage" for its its data center there. Another local company, Greenqloud, is now promoting Iceland's advantages as the basis for a more sustainable cloud computing service.

"The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World is an annual project initiated by Corporate Knights, the magazine for clean capitalism…with three strategic partners to identify…the global corporations which have been most proactive in managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.  Launched in 2005, the annual Global 100 is announced each year during the World Economic Forum in Davos." ICT companies do not populate the top of this list like they do some others.

The European market for Green ICT products has many local standards with few certified products. This does not appear to best serve sustainability-oriented computer buyers, consumer or enterprise, who need to make practical purchasing decisions today.

While much of the green computer focus worldwide is on laptops, UK companies are doing interesting things with desktops.

Aleutia offers low-power units that "are designed to easily connect to solar power and work in remote places." Case studies include Africa and Central Asia.

VeryPC's new Broadleaf is advertised as "super energy efficient…PVC Free, BFR Free, Halogen Free…Low Mileage, Low Carbon End-to-End Design…Fully Ethically Carbon Offset [for] embedded, transportation and 5 years of operation..."