Whether it’s to cut costs or be good corporate citizens, companies around the world are ramping up sustainable technology initiatives.

A survey by software company Symantec revealed that 97 percent of 1,052 IT executives in 15 countries said they have at least discussed green IT strategy. And 45 percent said they’ve already implemented green initiatives.

Released in May, the survey also reported that nearly three-fourths of the respondents expect their budgets for green IT to increase in the next 12 months

For project managers, green IT projects present a major opportunity—if you can cultivate the right skills. 

Here are some tips to get you going.

1. Know your stuff.

“You don’t have to do six years at university studying environmental science, however understanding underlying environmental problems will help you better negate the associated risks and consequences of green IT projects,” says Bianca Wirth, a government technologist at Microsoft, Sydney, Australia, and the founder of GreenITStrategy.com.

Micheline Birkhead, founder and principal strategist at San Francisco, California, USA-based consultancy ClearPath Strategies Inc., recommends learning as much as you can about each of the green IT components and how they fit together.

“It’s also important to look at how the green IT components align with strategies in each business unit or with the entire corporate strategy,” she says.

2. Explore emerging issues and technologies.

There are the requisite areas that potential green IT project managers need to know about, but that won’t help you stand out from the crowd.

“Everyone is focusing on data centers and virtualization because saving energy there creates positive return on investment for the business so these are two good areas to get experience in right now,” says Ms. Wirth.

But if you really want to get ahead, she suggests garnering some experience in e-waste and improving your knowledge of how water can be used in the data center.

“E-waste is interesting because many countries are introducing electronic waste legislation,” she says. “[And] some vendors are coming out with technologies like water-cooled cabinets and water-cooled processors in servers so I think the ongoing viability of water use in data centers needs a closer look.”

3. Measure your own footprint. 

“I truly believe you can’t preach it unless you practice it, so before you take off down the green IT route, understand how you measure up,” says Ms. Wirth. “A good tip here is to choose a carbon footprint calculator specifically developed for your country—the calculations differ worldwide due to a variety of country-specific factors.”

Then, take a good, long look at your organization’s carbon footprint.

Armed with that information, consider making suggestions for improvement, such as using laptops instead of desktop computers, introducing work-from-home days, optimizing data centers, or implementing power-management systems for monitors and printers.

4. Join the conversation.

There are several social networks devoted to green IT—find one and start discussing. One of the best ways to learn is from people in the trenches.

“The topic of green IT encompasses a lot of integrated aspects—it’s not just about energy efficiencies,” says Ms. Birkhead. “I recommend building your professional network to include peers who are knowledgeable about green issues in a broad sense, as well as green IT issues.”

5. Talk the talk.

Want to learn more about sustainability?

For a limited time, PMI members can join the Global Sustainability Community of Practice at no charge.

In organizations new to green IT, project managers need to make a concerted effort to communicate the benefits to stakeholders.

“One thing project managers can do is to educate the project sponsor and senior management on the benefits of green IT and make it part of the project’s deliverables,” says Tripta Prashar, director of Reading, England-based green IT consultancy Giving Time and Solutions Ltd.

Project managers also need to understand how green IT fits into the overall strategy.

“The challenge is in seeing the bigger picture,” says Pete Foster, a London, England-based director at consultancy The Green IT Report. “Companies need to adopt a holistic approach to going green, so [a project manager’s] awareness of the impact on other parts of the operation will be important.”