Environmental impact has increased in importance as enterprises evaluate IT products, according to a recent survey.

Half of 738 companies responding to a Forrester Research survey in April said they consider green criteria during their IT procurement process, and four out of five have recycling programs, according to a report released Friday.

Forty-five percent of respondents, 5% more than last year, said they are creating green IT plans that detail goals, priorities, and actions, according to Forrester, which recommends creation of such plans.

While the report indicates increasing awareness and activity around green IT issues, adoption varies significantly by location and industry, Forrester reported.

European companies tend to be more motivated to become green because of top-down corporate initiatives, while U.S. companies gain motivation from bottom-up goals like cost-cutting, Forrester said.

More enterprise companies around the world appear to be placing greater emphasis on environmental issues, judging from the number of respondents alone, Forrester pointed out. In contrast to this year's 738 responses, last year's two surveys drew 125 and 135 responses.

IT leaders and organizations can increase their influence by helping businesses curb their environmental impact, not only from IT equipment and operations, but also from other business processes, Forrester VP Christopher Mines said in the report.

Since executives are increasing involvement with green initiatives, technology vendors should try to reach leaders in facilities, finance, human resources, and marketing, in addition to IT operations professionals, Forrester said.

The entire report, More Green Progress In Enterprise IT, is available on Forrester's Web site for $279.