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ICTs can reduce GHG emission: Focus Group

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CIOL Bureau
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GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: ITU Focus Group proposed standardized methodologies to calculate the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It was proposed during a meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.

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The ITU-T Focus Group on ICTs and Climate Change, a global group comprising of some of the world's leading ICT players, has developed a method for calculating two elements:

Energy usage and carbon impact arising from ICT lifecycles

Decrease in GHG emissions that can be achieved with ICTs, such as substituting ICT services and devices for intensive fossil-fuelled activities for travel and transport and by replacing atoms with bits (buying an MP3 file instead of a CD), also known as "dematerialization".

The meeting agreed on a set of four 'deliverables' that also give guidance on terms and definitions, including units of measurement to be used. The deliverables draw on best practices from many organizations around the world and will be published as the proceedings of the Focus Group. The next step will be to formally issue outcomes as ITU-T recommendations, or standards.

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Malcolm Johnson, director, ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, said: "This work has an important bearing on current and future global agreements, under which countries undertake commitments to reduce overall GHG emissions. Common approaches to calculating the impact of ICTs are vital to ensure coherent and effective solutions."

ICTs have the potential to drastically reduce GHGs. A contribution to the Focus Group meeting showed that direct e-mail has the effect of a 98.5 per cent carbon dioxide emission reduction compared with paper. The group also noted a trend towards 'always-on' devices that are a drain on power supplies. Recommended steps towards more efficient energy use of ICT devices are part of the output of the group.

"Even conservative estimates show a significant contribution to addressing climate change can be made through the application of ICTs," said Johnson. "But, we cannot be content to sit and tell one another that ICTs can mitigate climate change. We must demonstrate our case with hard facts and figures. This methodology will give added credibility and coherence to the estimates of the positive impact of ICT. A common methodology will help establish the business case to go green and can ultimately be beneficial to informed consumer choices and climate-friendly business procurement."

Dave Faulkner, BT and chairman, Focus Group, said: "The Focus Group has highlighted ways to minimize the ICT sector's carbon footprint. But, more importantly, the group has highlighted key ways to reduce GHG emissions in other sectors by the clever use of telecommunication and ICTs. We expect these measures will be taken up by telecommunications operators and vendors around the world."

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