The government-backed team, led by Manchester City Council, will introduce a programme to reduce the environmental impact of producing, running and disposing of IT equipment.

One key measure is the creation of a ‘green PC’ service, with national Data Centres allowing users to access office packages, email, and internet centrally, rather than from a single PC. The plan will mean individual PCs use 98% less energy than standard machines, according to IT news website Pocket-lint.

“Cyber-warming is a massive issue and that is why we have taken decisive action with the appointment of the taskforce,” said Local Government Minister Phil Woolas. “The new taskforce is the first of its kind in the world and is a sign of how serious the UK is about tackling this issue.”

IT research company Gartner estimates that the industry worldwide accounts for 2% of global CO2 emissions, a figure that’s comparable to aviation. And on top of the emissions generated by the production and operation of new machines, a typical PC lasts only three years – with most ending up in landfills around the world, polluting the ground with the hazardous materials cadmium and mercury.

But some of the major manufacturers have already taken steps to green their products. Hewlett-Packard recently released the world’s most eco-friendly PC – made of 95% recyclable components and with an 80% efficient power supply; Apple is set to remove all toxic components from its computer equipment; while Fujitsu Siemens Computers pledged to increase the efficiency of the UK’s Data Centres by 40%, promising £10,000 to an environmental charity should it fail.