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Report calls for smart ICT
Friday June 20th 2008. Posted: 15:24
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The report outlines how ICT can be used to help tackle climate change
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A report released today (Friday) says the use of smarter technology could reduce global CO2 emissions by 15 per cent and save industry £394.7 billion in annual energy costs by the year 2020.
SMART 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age has been produced by independent organisation The Climate Group and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). The report is believed to be the world’s first comprehensive global study of the information communication technology (ICT) sector’s growing significance for the world’s climate. It says ICT’s own current footprint of two per cent of global emissions will almost double by 2020 - but this could be countered by its ability to monitor and maximise its own energy efficiency and that of other sectors, potentially cutting CO2 emissions by up to five times this amount. It goes on to say while teleworking, videoconferencing, e-paper and e-commerce are increasingly commonplace, far greater opportunities for emissions savings exist in applying ICT to global infrastructure and industry. In particular, it says, this can be achieved through improvements in the areas of building design and use, logistics, electricity grids and industrial motor systems. The Climate Group chief executive Steve Howard said: “PCs, mobile phones and the web have transformed the way we all live and do business. Global warming and soaring energy prices mean that re-thinking how every home and business uses technology to cut unnecessary costs and carbon is critical to our environment and economy. “Supported by innovative government policy, ICT can unlock the clean green industrial revolution we need to tackle climate change and usher in a new era of low-carbon prosperity.” BT director of sustainable development Chris Tuppen has played a significant part in the work leading to the report, which features in this week’s edition of The Economist. He said: “This study outlines the important contribution ICT can make to the reduction of carbon emissions. BT is already playing a leading role in making this a reality - for instance, with the low-energy cool broadband project that won the award for best sustainable innovation for society at the BT Innovation Awards. “This is the kind of development we need to see much more of if ICT is to be used to its full potential in tackling climate change issues.”
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Last updated:
11:55