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3: Collaboration Is Key for Green IT 49

SNIA also announced a formal alliance with The Green Grid. The
Green Grid will work with SNIA and its Green Storage Initiative to
develop and promote standards, measurement methods, processes, and
technologies to improve data center energy efficiencies. SNIA will use its
expertise in networked storage and membership (more than 400 member
companies and 7,000 individual members) to work with The Green Grid
on best storage practices for achieving more-efficient storage infrastruc-
tures, including more-efficient storage networking technologies.
SNIA strongly believes that addressing the challenges associated with
energy efficiency and green computing will require collaboration across
all IT areas, including the storage industry. SNIA believes that The
Green Grid is a key industry organization for improving energy effi-
ciency within data centers and business computing ecosystems. Through
its Green Storage Initiative—dedicated to applying the technical and
educational expertise of the storage industry to develop and find more
energy-efficient solutions in the data center—SNIA is committed to
work with The Green Grid to develop best practices and education for
the industry.
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Collaboration and Carbon Trading

Carbon trading, although still ramping up, is an interesting area of col-
laboration between companies in the green space. Governments usually
have the role of regulating carbon emissions through systems such as cap
and trade. In a cap and trade system, the regulatory body sets a limit or
cap on the amount of pollutant a company can emit. Companies are issued
emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of
allowances (or credits), which represent the right to emit a specific
amount. The total of allowances and credits cannot exceed the cap (the
total emissions). Companies that need to increase emissions can buy cred-
its from companies that pollute less. A purchase of credits is the trade.
Chapter 4 goes into more detail on carbon trading as a way for organiza-
tions to collaborate in reducing the total amount of greenhouse gases.

IT Vendors and Collaboration

In April 2008, IBM announced new energy-management software, an
expansion of its energy certificates program, and an energy benchmark
to help clients establish energy-efficiency goals, optimize for energy