A new study has revealed that IT departments are failing to measure the effectiveness of environmental strategies.

The Green IT Corporate Census 2008 study has shown that while businesses are taking green IT seriously only 26 per cent of IT managers were measuring the effectiveness of initiatives.

Some 55 per cent of IT managers rated IT as important or vital to their company, according to a Computer Weekly report.

"Measuring green IT is not developed at all. There are not any standards for measuring," commented David Roberts, chief executive of the Corporate IT Forum.

The Bathwick Group and the Corporate IT Forum carried out the census, which also found that 60 per cent of IT managers stated that finding a business case for implementing green IT was a big challenge.

It also emerged that 70 per cent of IT managers are or will be educating end-users to encourage them to switch off PCs and recycle paper to try and be more environmentally responsible.

Earlier in the year, the IT and technology industry trade body Intellect stated that it is to conduct a study with the University of Warwick aimed at helping business users "go green".

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent)