I recently attended the UK final of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup, and was hugely impressed by the quality and the originality of the entries.

What was most gratifying was the energy and thought the young participants had put in.

For me, this year’s competition illustrated a meeting of two technological revolutions. First, the IT revolution ­ – the pace of which means that in less than 40 years, computers have completely changed the face of the global economy and become part of the fabric of our lives.

It is talented, creative people that have driven a continual process of reinvention, and it is the spirit of self-reliance which characterises the best of the software industry.

Such spirit will be vital in the next technological revolution ­ – the growth of the low-carbon economy. The initial stages of this revolution will be all about looking at how we do things now and trying to limit the emissions they create.

The Committee on Climate Change is working on whether or not we should set a legal target of an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

Globally, IT is responsible for a similar proportion of emissions as the aviation industry ­ – roughly two per cent of total carbon output. But IT can also help control other areas of pollution and help build a much stronger economy.

An example is the Act on CO2 carbon calculator from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which received its millionth visitor this month. The web site allows people to input a few details about their homes and travel habits, and it then estimates their carbon footprint.

Perhaps more importantly, the site provides a practical plan for how individuals can reduce their footprint. It is good to see that one million people have decided climate change is something they have some responsibility for, and believe they could affect change.

Such responsibility extends into our working lives, too. At Defra, we have put in place a number of tools and mechanisms to enable staff to make choices about how and where they work, so that we can do our bit to help reduce emissions.

As well as reducing the size of our estate, we are encouraging staff to choose sustainable means of travelling to work and on official business, and offsetting emissions from air travel from 2005, rail from 2006 and road from 2007.

The UK has all the right attributes to become a leader in the low-carbon sector ­ – a sector which will be worth an estimated $700bn (£358bn) globally by 2010. It’s already worth £25bn in the UK, and that will continue to grow at a fast pace, particularly in the information sector.

Initiatives such as the Imagine Cup have an important role to play in building a leadership position for the UK on environmental sustainability and nurturing young talent to help create innovative solutions which tackle climate change.

And perhaps we will see success stories that echo the early computer era, where young men and women saw an opportunity and ended up shaping the way we all work and live today.

Phil Woolas is minister of state for the environment. For more on the Imagine Cup, vist www.imaginecup.co.uk