Explore the Mind Map to learn about ICT for a Low Carbon Society!
The presented classification structure has two dimensions or points of view to categorize the approaches. On the one hand every approach can be
assigned to a main principle of how it can contribute to a low carbon economy. Such a contribution needs concepts for the reduction of energy usage and emissions. There are two main
concepts that could be identified by looking at state of the art approaches. On the one hand
emissions can be directly avoided by "dematerialization". In this context dematerialization is the
substitution of physical products or routes of transportation by its digital equivalent. For
example, letters can be replaced by electronic mail and video conferences can be held instead
of physical meetings.
On the other hand products and processes can be optimized in order to
save energy and reduce emissions. Therefore the taxon optimization refers to the improvement
of processes and facilities regarding to energy consumption. Current approaches try to obtain
this optimization by increased efficiency of units or systems (e.g. Thin Clients), or a higher
grade of automation (e.g. lighting) and optimized coordination (e.g. logistics) in
processes.
The second dimension of this classification is a somehow natural categorization of the approaches, since reductions in emissions can only be achieved in areas where energy is consumed
and emissions arise. These areas are defined as application areas of the current approaches in using ICT to reduce emissions and mainly represent economic sectors. The taxa in the application
area dimension are the energy use in buildings, the transportation of passengers and goods, the
energy supply industry, the industry and business sector, the public sector and the ICT sector.
Main Principle Dimension
There are
two concepts that differentiate the approaches in the highest level of
the main principle dimension. On the one hand there is dematerialization, as Information
Technology has the ability to replace physical objects and processes. On the other hand, energy
savings can be achieved by
optimization, which constitutes the second main principle. For each of
these main principles the
object of application can be distinguished. This means that the concept
of dematerialization as
well as the concept of optimization can be applied to either a physical
object, which can be a
product or a production unit, or to a process, like a production process
or the process of traveling. In case of the optimization of processes approaches differ once
more, since some are based
on automation and others on improved coordination.
Dematerialization
One important feature of ICT regarding to sustainable development is
dematerialization. The
SMART 2020 report published by The Climate Group in 2008 postulates a
“strong emphasis on
the significant opportunities offered by dematerialisation” and states in
this context: “Our study indicates that using technology to
dematerialise the way we work and operate across public and
private sectors could deliver a reduction of 500 MtCO2e in 2020 - the
equivalent of the total ICT
footprint in 2002, or just under the emissions of the UK in 2007.” [1]
A graphical illustration
of this estimation is given in figure
1.
This indicates that the potential of emissions savings through
dematerialization is estimated
to be quite large. It could also be a main concept to arrange further
growth and development with
a lower intensity of environmental impact. This implies a higher level
of efficiency achieved by
learning by experience and a declining consumption of goods and energy
because of dematerialization [2].
When dealing with dematerialization enabled by ICT, it has to be
distinguished between
products and routes of transport, although the borders between these
categories are not completely sharp. For example the e-initiatives of governments
(e-government) could be classified
by both taxa, because they dematerialize the use of paper, as well as
routes of transport, since
citizens save travel ways to governmental departments by using online
services. In this taxonomy the approach of the e-government is classified as dematerializing
routes of transport,
because the paperless office is considered as a separate concept, which
is obviously a product-dematerializing concept.
Although the ability to replace physical products and processes is
assumed to be one of
the big environmental benefits of ICT, there is some kind of uncertainty
regarding to the real
potential of dematerialization in the future. The success of every kind
of technology strongly depends on adoption, which cannot be predicted in preposition [1]. As
an example, the idea
of the paperless office goes back to the age of early personal computers
in the 1970’s [3], but
its distribution is still in development due to difficulties in adoption.
With the introduction of
electronic mail the usage of paper was expected to decline, but users
tended to print their mails
at the office, so that paper consumption actually increased [4].
Therefore the future impact
of dematerialization will among other things depend on the inertia of
consumer habits and the
incentives for adoption for businesses.
Figure 1: The potential impact of dematerialization [1]
Optimization
The second main principle of approaches that use ICT to enable emissions
savings is optimization, which is a very general term that leaves room for interpretation.
To clarify this term,
optimization makes things more efficient regarding to energy consumption
or the usage of other
resources. In opposition to the concept of dematerialization, the focus
of the principle of optimization is not the replacement of things by ICT. In this case, ICT
enables improvements
in energy consumption and emissions reductions by making units or
processes more efficient.
Therefore, in the taxonomy the optimization potential of ICT is split up
into unit efficiency and
the optimization of processes. The first taxon groups together
approaches which improve the
energy efficiency of machines, production units, devices or any other
physical object. Process
optimization is divided into two main concepts, where automation is one
and coordination the
other. Automation makes use of technology to execute tasks without the
need for manpower.
Alongside production processes this principle is also used in lighting
systems in buildings for
example. The taxon coordination stands for improved coordination of
processes and work flows
by using information and communication technology. This involves
computer applications used
to optimize transport routes, as well as smart grids developed to
coordinate energy supply more
efficiently.
Optimization can also be considered as making things smart, as ICT
enables to build smart motor systems and to improve energy efficiency in buildings and
transport by smart buildings
and smart logistics [1]. One the one hand the term smart stands for a
kind of intelligence
that inheres these improved units or processes, on the other hand The
Climate Group defines the
actions the ICT sector can take to improve the global emissions
situation by the five letters of
SMART [5]:
- Standardization of how energy consumption and information about
emissions can be
traced and made accessible throughout different processes in economy.
- Monitoring of energy consumption and emissions in real time.
- Accountability for energy consumption and emissions should be
established beside other
business priorities. This can be achieved by the application of network
tools.
- Rethinking about how we should live, learn, play and work in a low
carbon society, enabled by ICT as an information platform, which can also help working
together to gain
efficiency improvements.
- Transformation of the economy will happen if the enabling effect of
ICT can be turned to
account.
This assessment of The Climate Group concerning the optimization
potential of ICT suggests
that Information Technology can support and enable a transformation
process to a low carbon
economy and society in a great extent. But this implies the acceptance
and commitment of other
economic sectors and governments.
Application Area Dimension
The application areas where ICT is used to achieve improvements in energy efficiency or emissions savings mainly correspond to the economic sectors with the highest energy demand. The results of the classification show, that there are various approaches that make use
of information and communication technologies to affect energy efficiency and the amount of
greenhouse gas emissions in nearly every economic sector. This fact postulates once more the
role of ICT as enabling technology for energy and emissions savings, as it can be found in literature [6, 1]. On the other hand there are also some approaches concerning energy savings in
the ICT sector, which can directly contribute to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by making
ICT systems more energy efficient. But these concepts, summarized as Green IT, also strengthen
the enabling effect of ICT.
The presented classification of the application area dimension highlights that the general
concepts defined in the main principle dimension can be applied in many different areas. For
example, the concept of dematerialization is applied to transport, business and public sector, as
ICT can substitute transport routes and products in each of these areas.
Approximations of the possible ICT-enabled emissions savings in all other economic sector
are quantified by 7,8 GtCO2e by 2020, when assuming total emissions of 51,9 GtCO2e [1].
For this estimation the SMART 2020 Report considers four general application areas: Industry,
Transport, Buildings and Power (cf. figure 2). For each of these areas ICT brings so called
“SMART opportunities”, in form of “Smart motors and industrial processes”, “Smart logistics”,
“Smart buildings” and “Smart grids” [1]. The concept of dematerialization provides benefits
for all areas except of the power sector. There is one difference between the results of this
observation by The Climate Group and the conclusion of this thesis. The taxonomy of this thesis
defines the public sector as separate application area for ICT approaches, whereas in figure 2
this is considered as part of dematerialization opportunities in other sectors. In fact, there are
governmental initiatives like e-government or e-health that are initiated by the public sector
and therefore have to be classified in this context.
Figure 2: The enabling effect of ICT estimated by The Climate Group [1]
References
[1] The Climate Group. Smart 2020: Enabling the low carbon economy in the information age. Technical report, The Climate Group on behalf of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), 2008.
[2] J.H. Ausubel and P.E. Waggoner. Dematerialization: Variety, caution, and persistence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), vol. 105 no. 35:12774–12779, 2008.
[4] A. J. Sellen and R. H. R. Harper. The myth of the paperless office. MIT Press, 2003.
[5] The Climate Group. Smart 2020 report summary. Technical report, The Climate Group on behalf of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), 2008.
[6] G. Philipson. ICT’s role in the low carbon economy. Technical report, Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), 2010.
