Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the production, operation and disposal of computers is to be the aim of a new UK government taskforce, reports the BBC.

Computers and other IT equipment have been blamed for causing as much global warming as the airline industry.

The public-private “Green Shift” taskforce will oversee the piloting of a “green PC” service in which individual machines use 98% less energy than standard PCs.

IT equipment is thought to generate 35m tonnes of harmful CO2 gas each year.