Abstract:

Green information technology is a three-decade-old term that refers to an environmentally friendly and responsible approach to the use of information technology in business processes. Green IT aims to reduce the impact of information technology on the environment by designing, manufacturing, handling, and disposing of computers and other equipment in an environmentally friendly manner. Green information technology requires companies to invest in greater energy efficiency, optimize resources, make organizational changes aimed at digital transformation, and adopt sustainable environmental policies.

Many companies are now looking at Green information technology from three different perspectives: economic, social and environmental. Governments have enacted new laws and regulations to protect the environment from the impacts of information technology to reflect the importance of environmental sustainability. According to the results of the literature review, researchers are exploring the application of the Green information technology concept in practice, so the number of studies that provide a better understanding of its conceptual basis has increased in recent years.

Despite the concept's longevity, there have been relatively few articles published on its application in the higher education system. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that numerous unanswered questions and challenges exist in implementing the concept of green information technology in the digital transformation of higher education institutions. The objectives of this study are twofold:
(1) to examine how higher education institutions alter their business and teaching processes through the implementation of green information technology, and
(2) to determine the extent to which higher education institutions incorporate subjects or topics from the observed field into their study programs.

To achieve these objectives, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, analyzing the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The findings were then presented, systematized, and briefly compared with publicly available data on the state of the observed area in the Republic of Croatia. These findings were instrumental in developing guidelines for future research on the application of the green information technology concept in the higher education institutions.

Keywords:

Green information technology, green computing, sustainability, higher education institutions.