OECD Workshop on ICTs and Environmental Challenges

The Danish National IT and Telecom Agency has developed an Action plan for green IT. They also hosted the OECD Workshop on ICTs and Environmental Challenges, May 2008. A summary , agenda and webcast are available. This featured Australian John Houghton. There will be another workshop 27-28 May 2009 in Denmark.

The aim of this workshop was to:

• Take stock of the impacts of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the environment.
• Identify areas for further analysis of the application and use of ICTs to further environmental goals.
• Identify opportunities and best practices in the use of ICTs, the Internet and sensor networks in environmental management, energy efficiency, cleaner technologies and improved resource management.
• Consider policy implications and the development of goals and priorities in efficient buildings, transport and distribution systems that harness the potential of ICT-based systems and sensor networks.
• Contribute to preparation of the OECD Seoul Ministerial on the Internet Economy, the Hokkaido G8 meeting, and the planned OECD conference in 2009 and the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009.

Session 1: The environmental impact of ICTs in the knowledge economy

This session focussed on a general overview of the impacts of ICTs on meeting environmental challenges.

Questions addressed included:

• To what extent can ICTs reduce energy intensity in energy-intensive activities?
• What are the overall magnitudes of the impacts of ICTs on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency?
• What are the impacts of digitalisation and digital delivery on environmental performance?
• What are the environmental impacts of expanded use of ICTs in work and social organisation? How have ICTs affected transport and logistics patterns and what is the potential for further improvements?
• How large is the “rebound effect”, where improvements in efficiency and environmental performance lead to greater use (e.g. improved energy efficiency in transport lowers costs, encourages greater use, and does not achieve energy savings and emission reductions)?

Chair: Marie Munk, National IT and Telecom Agency, Denmark

• A framework for modelling ICT and environmental challenges using future scenarios

Don MacLean, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Canada

• From green attitude to green action: The approach of the Norwegian ICT-industry

Per Morten Hoff, ICT Norway

• Eco-innovation in the knowledge economy: Challenges and opportunities for ICT

Maj Munch Andersen, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark

• The future impact of ICTs on environmental sustainability

Lorenz Erdman, Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment, Germany

• ICT contribution to the emergence of carbon-sober social behaviour

Michel Petit, Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment, France

• ICTs and the environment: A framework for analysis

John Houghton, Victoria University, Australia

Session 2: ICTs in pollution management, cleaner technologies and better resource management

This session focussed on more detailed applications and areas of “low-hanging fruit" in improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in buildings, lighting, heating and cooling applications, transport, and standby losses and where applicable control systems in the energy generation and distribution network.

Chair: Hedwig Verhagen, Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands

• e-Strategies in governments and business

Dennis Pamlin, WWF, Sweden

• Networks, energy consumption and managing energy use

Rich Brown, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, United States

• Impacts of technology-specific applications: Broadband access, DSL and fibre access networks

David Faulkner, BT, United Kingdom

• Energy efficiency in ICTs

Wolfgang Nebel, OFFIS - Institute for Information Technology, Germany

• Environmental benefits of broadband

Chris Lloyd, Verizon, United States

• How green IT can beat CO2

Soren Jensen, TDC, Denmark

Session 3: The ICT producing sector – challenges and progress

This session focussed on the ICT-producing sector and examine efforts to increase energy efficiency and improve environmental performance through better life-cycle audits of products and production processes, including reducing waste generation, the use of hazardous substances and recycling.

Chair: Mark Carvell, Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, United Kingdom

• Environmental impact of ICT: A conceptual framework and some strategic recommendations

Lorenz Hilty, EMPA, Switzerland

• ICTs, resource management and energy efficiency

Mario Tobias, BITKOM, Germany

• The Green IT index and firm organisation

Ewa Thorslund, IT and Telecom Industries, Sweden

• High tech: Low carbon

Emma Fryer, Intellect, United Kingdom

• The TCO label: Marketing, development and certification issues

Helena Nordin, TCO – The Swedish Confederation for Professional Employees, Sweden

• The changing role of ICT: An industry view

Tetsuo Karaki, Fujitsu, Japan

Session 4: Policy developments, policy issues and implications for future work

This session drew out issues for further analysis and examine policy implications. The underlying approach is that it is important to focus on areas where ICT applications have the greatest positive environmental impacts, for example improving energy efficiency in buildings, lighting, heating and cooling, transport applications, and reducing standby losses. Setting new goals for further improving the environmental performance of the ICT industry would be another key area. The aim would be to explore what policies could promote the development and increased use of ICTs for environmental sustainability and what new areas of work are necessary to underpin policy development.

Chair: Daniela Battisti, Agency for Inward Investments and Business Development, Italy

• The road from Bali to Copenhagen

Thomas Becker, Ministry of Climate and Energy, Denmark

• European policies for ICTs in a highly-efficient, low-carbon economy

Peter Johnston, European Commission, DG Information Society and Media

• The Global e-sustainability Initiative (GeSI)

Luis Neves, GeSI Chair, Deutsche Telekom, Germany

• Japan’s Green IT Initiative

Takayuki Sumita, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan

• How Public Administration can contribute to a sustainable ICT

Giovanna Sissa, Technological Observatory for Schools, Italy

• The Action Plan for Green IT in Denmark

Adam Lebech, National IT and Telecom Agency, Denmark ...

From: Workshop on ICTs and Environmental Challenges, OECD and Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, National IT and Telecom Agency Eigtveds Pakhus, Copenhagen, Denmark, 22-23 May 2008