- Hong Kong Carbon Reduction Campaign
- Global forest carbon research
- Securing water supply in China's heartland
- Taking direct action
- Saving the Freshwater Gharial in the Ganges
- Cleaning up the Ganges
- Untangling our understanding of lianas and climate change
- The Panama Canal Watershed Experiment
- Protecting the Ganges: Interschool Recycling Workshop
- Cooking on natural gas in the Yangtze
- Tackling illegal deforestation
- Johannesburg's Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit Project
- Baicheng wind farm project
PC Power Down, North America
In North America, HSBC has been running the 'Turn it off' programme and set an ambitious target of powering down 70 per cent of all desktop computers at the evenings and weekends.
Personal computers are the most power hungry device on the desktop. In the past, many people in North America have left their PCs on when not in use, wasting a huge amount of electricity. Now, HSBC employees recognised this and have taken steps to reduce desktop power consumption.
Replacing older personal computers with new, more efficient systems has resulted a 32 per cent increase in the energy efficiency of each machine. Upgrading the old screens with new, LCD models has increased energy efficiency even further.
We have installed NightWatchman software from 1E on personal computers in North America as well as across Group which automatically shuts down a significant portion of the over 300,000 personal computers at HSBC in 2009, resulting in a saving of 7,267,865 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 3,125,182 kg's of carbon dioxide. As a result of people across Group in all regions shutting down their computers when they go home and our automated software that shuts down the computers if someone forgets. We have saved the equivalent amount of energy to power the Empire State Building.
Implementing these changes and encouraging employees to turn off their machines has led to 72 per cent of desktop computers being shut down in December 2009 - over 2 per cent more than the original target. "Turn It Off is already delivering considerable energy and cost savings across North America. This is an outstanding example of how making small changes to the way we work can have a significant impact on cost efficiency whilst also reducing HSBC's carbon footprint." Bill Thomas, Group Head HTS Sustainability, HSBC Holdings plc.
