Organisations which are tempted to cut back their green IT initiatives in an attempt to trim costs could end up paying more in the long run, it has been claimed.

Research by analyst Gartner found that most firms will actually save money in the short to medium-term by implementing environmentally-friendly IT initiatives, something which could reduce pressure on IT budgets in general.

Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner, said: "Companies need to pursue these low-risk initiatives as they often provide quick returns that are especially attractive in a cost-cutting environment.

"Green PC initiatives typically do not add significantly to ongoing operational costs, and the small upfront costs associated with them are usually easily recovered 12 to 18 months after the program begins."

He added that switching to eco-friendly computers, switching off equipment when it is not in use, making sure that old machines are disposed of correctly and completing tasks in the most efficient manner can all lead to quick savings.

Yesterday, a survey by the firm found that the credit crunch has not yet had an impact on European IT budgets.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent) In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were 'guaranteed response times' and 'allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues'