Classification of ICT for a Low Carbon Society

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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.

[3] Business Week. The   office   of   the   future. Business Week, June 1975. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc20080526_547942.htm. Accessed: 2013-03-09.

[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.