Global Action Plan

GAP as a surfer

If Restorick were a surfer he would be praised for riding waves expertly.

What he is doing with EITLT is surfing; riding and helping to direct a growing wave of end-user feeling, if not demand, that it should be easier to buy more energy-efficient IT products. The focus is on energy efficiency as ROHS and WEEE have taken care, largely, of the hazardous substances and recycling issues. Energy-efficient IT is aspirational, modern and forward-looking.

Where things get tricky is that Restorick must needs become a thorn in the government's side but only a smallish thorn as GAP gets funding from DEFRA, local government bodies and various bodies that could be described as non-governmental organisations.

Restorick is not a thorn in the side of business; he cannot afford to be and does not want to be. GAP is not confrontational as Greenpeace and FOE can be. He presents, markets, GAP as wanting to work with business to help it become greener, to facilitate existing wishes, not to demand that business should go green because it is evil not to do so.

Restorick activity principles

What we might expect from EITLT can be shown by Restorick's three principles of activity:

1. Climate change communications is beset with technical jargon and needs simplifying.
2. Behaviour change is the end and it is more likely to be cemented firmly if groups are formed and make their own decisions.
3. There needs to be positive feedback.

Restrick believes that successful group green initiatives require leaders and need to be thought of as aspirational, modern and forward-looking. Energy-efficient IT certainly meets those three criteria and EITLT could provide the leadership he deems necessary.