The role of the ICT industry and technology in general in reducing environmental impact is a area of some debate. SOCITM and others have outlined the potential, but also highlighted the negative effects of manufacture, use and disposal.
The European Commission is joining the debate, announcing that it is encouraging the ICT industry to demonstrate leadership in reducing its own CO2 emissions and to identify and create sustainable solutions which will benefit the whole economy. The initial focus will be on improving energy efficiency throughout the economy, starting with buildings, lighting and the power grid.
If Europe’s increasing energy use goes on unchecked it is expected to rise by as much as 25% by 2012. The European Council has agreed to ambitious targets around climate change including commitments to save 20% of energy consumption by 2020 through energy efficiency, to increase to 20% the share of renewable energies and to reduce by 20% the emission of greenhouse gases. The potential for the ICT industry, and ICTs in general, to contribute to these targets is clear. The most modern and advanced computer servers consume the same amount of energy as a standard light bulb and if widely used they could see potential energy savings of up to 70%.
