No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Assessing ICT global emissions footprint: Trends to 2040 & recommendations
Abstract
In light of the concerted efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) per the so-called Paris Agreement, the Information and Communication Industry (ICT) has received little attention as a significant contributor to GHGE and if anything is often highly praised for enabling efficiencies that help reduce other industry sectors footprint. In this paper, we aim at assessing the global carbon footprint of the overall ICT industry, including the contribution from the main consumer devices, the data centers and communication networks, and compare it with the to the total worldwide GHGE. We conduct a detailed and rigorous analysis of the ICT global carbon footprint, including both the production and the operational energy of ICT devices, as well as the operational energy for the supporting ICT infrastructure. We then compare this contribution to the global 2016-level GHGE. We have found that, if unchecked, ICT GHGE relative contribution could grow from roughly 1–1.6% in 2007 to exceed 14% of the 2016-level worldwide GHGE by 2040, accounting for more than half of the current relative contribution of the whole transportation sector. Our study also highlights the contribution of smart phones and shows that by 2020, the footprint of smart phones alone would surpass the individual contribution of desktops, laptops and displays. Finally, we offer some actionable recommendations on how to mitigate and curb the ICT explosive GHGE footprint, through a combination of renewable energy use, tax policies, managerial actions and alternative business models.
... I NFORMATION and communication technology (ICT) is estimated to be responsible for 1.4%-3.9% of the current greenhouse gas emissions [1]- [3]. While the global climate targets require decarbonization [4], multiple studies estimate that the energy usage of ICT continues increasing [1]- [3], [5], and some studies also predict increasing greenhouse gas emissions [2], [3]. In addition to the greenhouse gas emissions, also the mining of resources included within the ICT devices and e-waste have impacts on ecosystems and humans [3], [6], [7]. ...
... The environmental implications of ICT are related to data centers, communication networks and user devices such as smartphones [2]. To fulfill the environmental targets, different sustainability measures are needed for ICT that jointly fulfill the requirements. ...
... Further, the resource sources and waste sinks can be taken into account. Note that the ecological implications of each individual ICT device are mainly determined by its lifetime, the energy and resources required for production, the use phase energy consumed by the device, and the end-of-life treatment [2]. The largest portion of the growth of the energy demand of ICT can be allocated to communication networks and data centers [3], [5]. ...
The sector of information and communication technology (ICT) can contribute to the fulfillment of the Paris agreement and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) through the introduction of sustainability strategies. For environmental sustainability, such strategies should contain efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency measures. To propose such, a structural analysis of ICT is undertaken in this manuscript. Thereby, key mechanisms and dynamics behind the usage of ICT and the corresponding energy and resource use are analyzed by describing ICT as a complex system. The system contains data centers, communication networks, smartphone hardware, apps, and the behavior of the users as sub-systems, between which various Morinian interactions are present. Energy and non-energy resources can be seen as inputs of the system, while e-waste is an output. Based on the system description, we propose multiple measures for efficiency, sufficiency and consistency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts.
... Considering the criticality of this current issue, very few reviews and studies are found to present a holistic approach to the issue focusing on all the aspects. In a study by Belkhir & Elmeligi [13] global carbon footprint of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors are accessed projecting trends up to 2040. It provides a detailed analysis of the carbon emissions associated with various digital technologies, including smartphones, data centers, and networks. ...
... The digital sector is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, with activities ranging from the use of devices to the operation of data centers and blockchain technologies. According to Belkhir & Elmeligi [13] the global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) footprint of the ICT industry has more than doubled from 2007 to 2020, increasing from a minimum of 1.06% to over 3% of total global emissions. The biggest contributors to this rise are smartphones, which by 2020 accounted for over 50% of the total ICT footprint, and data centers, which grew from 33% to 45% during the same period. ...
... Since devices are changed very frequently with the advent of newer versions, the cost of production and waste generated is adding up. Table 8 provides the CO2 emission data for the key digital devices computed by Belkhir & Elmeligi [13] in their study. Table 8. ...
Digital transformation, powered by technologies like AI, IoT, and big data, is reshaping industries and societies at an unprecedented pace. While these innovations promise smarter energy management, precision agriculture, and efficient resource utilization, they also introduce serious environmental challenges. This paper examines the dual impact of digital technologies, highlighting key threats such as rising energy consumption, growing e-waste, and increased extraction of raw materials. For instance, global e-waste reached 62 million metric tons in 2022, and data centers alone accounted for nearly 1% of the world's electricity demand in 2019. The review synthesizes findings from studies on topics like the energy use of blockchain technologies and the environmental costs of raw material extraction in the smartphone industry. Moreover, it identifies critical research gaps, particularly in understanding the environmental impact of digital usage at individual and household levels. Practical strategies such as integrating circular economy principles, promoting renewable energy, and green computing are proposed to balance technological advancement with sustainability goals. This study highlights the need for a holistic approach, suggesting future research directions to minimize digital transformation’s environmental footprint while maximizing its sustainability benefits.
... Wireless sensors and monitoring technology have enabled the development of the concept of smart grids, smart homes and smart buildings to optimise energy management in individual rooms by monitoring parameters such as temperature, humidity or sunlight [8], [9]. This of course further complicates the paradoxical situation of emissions. ...
... However, the dependence on ICT devices and services is growing rapidly, so the energy needed to produce and operate ICT devices is also increasing significantly. The energy required to produce and operate the ICT devices in use contributes significantly to the formation of carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases and other global warming pollutants [8]. Empirical evidence also shows that despite the energy efficiency improvements in ICTs over the past seven decades, the carbon footprint continues to grow. ...
A major contributor to climate change is the emissions from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices and digitalisation. Energy use, heat production, and the operation of assets all contribute to the production of harmful emissions. However, indirect emissions, such as production and disposal, also play a role. We rely mainly on the output of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper focuses on the emissions of SMEs. Is it certain that cloud services (remote data storage and management) leave a much smaller carbon footprint than ICT devices for own use? These two solutions lead to a paradox: using more modern devices to produce less emissions requires more energy and generates more heat. This article analyses how to resolve this paradox for SMEs.
... Reducing digital consumption involves implementing minimalist design principles that directly impact energy usage. Over the past decade, the growing energy consumption of computing systems, from large-scale supercomputers to personal laptops, has become a significant concern driven by Towards Energy economic, environmental, and implementation practicalities (Beloglazov et al., 2011;Belkhir et al., 2018). In 2020, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector contributed from 1.8 to 2.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with projections indicating an increase of up to 830 million tons of CO 2 by 2030 (Andrae & Edler, 2015;Belkhir et al., 2018). ...
... Over the past decade, the growing energy consumption of computing systems, from large-scale supercomputers to personal laptops, has become a significant concern driven by Towards Energy economic, environmental, and implementation practicalities (Beloglazov et al., 2011;Belkhir et al., 2018). In 2020, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector contributed from 1.8 to 2.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with projections indicating an increase of up to 830 million tons of CO 2 by 2030 (Andrae & Edler, 2015;Belkhir et al., 2018). Even mobile phones, despite their relatively low energy impact, are part of an infrastructure that requires considerable amounts of electricity to function. ...
The digital is not an intangible entity. Contrary to the belief that the digital world reduces the physical footprint of human activities, its environmental impact is far from minor. To foster sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion requires the creation of complex and multidimensional strategies to encourage long-term behavioural change. In this scenario, concepts such as sobriety and moderation emerge as an alternative sustainable model. The article critically overviews concrete practices for balancing digital energy usage. An analysis of contemporary strategies is presented through two main parameters: firstly, a distinction is made between solutions that use artificial intelligence to optimise efficiency and solutions that use natural intelligence to rethink traditional consumption paradigms. Secondly, design strategies are categorised into three drivers: reducing digital activities by resorting to lowtech or analogic alternatives, adapting resources through artefacts responsive to energy availability and quality, and replacing traditional technologies with biobased and bioinspired solutions. The results highlight the necessity for a post-anthropocentric vision in design and provide a compass of strategies to apply to the energy transition in the digital realm.
... In an era of immense data proliferation, understanding the true value and environmental cost of data is essential. As data volumes grow exponentially, the challenge lies in discerning which data are valuable and which are redundant, thereby optimizing storage and processing to reduce environmental impact [93]. Sustainable data management practices need to be developed to ensure that only necessary data are retained, thus minimizing the carbon footprint associated with data storage. ...
... The literature recognizes the existence of domain-specific factors that affect the carbon footprint of digital activities. Among these domains, the Internet, telecommunication, and IoT sectors are particularly impactful regarding carbon emissions [93]. The average website produces 1.76 g of CO 2 for every page view, so a site with 100,000 page views per month emits 2112 kg of CO 2 yearly, while the telecommunications landscape alone accounts for 1.6-2% of global carbon emissions. ...
Citation: Mersico, L.; Abroshan, H.; Sanchez-Velazquez, E.; Saheer, L.B.; Simandjuntak, S.; Dhar-Bhattacharjee, S.; Al-Haddad, R.; Saeed, N.; Saxena, A. Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable ICT: The Role of File Storage. Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8043.
... Among other studies, Belkhir et.al. [2] predict that by 2040 the environmental impact of ICT could represent 14% of the total global footprint at the 2016 level, surpassing the current footprint of the agricultural sector (9%) and almost half of the current total footprint of the industrial sector (29%) in the United States. Digitalization contributes to environmental pollution due to energy consumption. ...
... f DG (P) = Complexity of P Allocation of resources for digitalizing P (2) then the following can be deduced: ...
In an era where sustainability is paramount, understanding the environmental impact of digitalizing business processes is critical. Despite the growing emphasis on sustainable practices, there is a lack of comprehensive methodologies to evaluate how digitalization impacts environmental sustainability compared to traditional processes. This paper introduces a carbon-aware methodological framework specifically designed to assess the sustainability of business process reengineering through digitalization. The Digital Green framework quantitatively analyzes the environmental costs associated with digital transformation, ensuring that truly sustainable digitalization results in lower resource consumption relative to the complexity of the process being digitalized. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the framework was applied to a case study involving the reengineering of an administrative process at a small university in southern Italy. The case study highlighted the framework’s ability to quantify the environmental benefits or detriments of digital transformation, thus guiding organizations toward more sustainable digital practices. This research contributes to the field by offering a concrete tool for aligning digitalization efforts with ecological sustainability, and by paving the way for integration with initiatives such as the Green Software Foundation’s Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) specifications.
... It also conflicts with Goal 16, which aims to establish peace, justice, and strong institutions, as it can undermine privacy and trust within educational systems [5]. Moreover, this constant collection (and over-collection) of data uses high computing resources, whose environmental impacts challenge Goal 13 (Climate Action), given that the ICT sector, including edtech, is projected to contribute 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 [6]. Therefore, current efforts aimed at greening education should include greening edtech [7]. ...
In this chapter, we discuss the impact of digitizing education, the risks of datafication, data privacy loss, and surveillance, and their implications for children’s fundamental rights and freedoms. While debates around digital media’s impact on children’s health and development have grown, our goal is to present the most pertinent concerns emerging from the use of education technologies (edtech), focusing on data collection and surveillance in Anglo-American (Western) contexts. We shed light on the gaps in literature and provide recommendations addressing education stakeholders.
... For instance, a network with bre to the node (FTTN) would consume 176 kWh of electricity to transmit 10 Mbit/s per year, resulting in a 192 kg of CO 2 e per year; on the other hand, a passive optical network (PON) that provides access of 10 Mbit/s will consume 101 kWh of electricity and release 109 kg of CO 2 e per year as carbon footprints (Baliga et al., 2009). Additionally, it was estimated that a single email can generate 4 g CO 2 e, while an email with an attachment will generate 50 g CO 2 e, not to mention the transmission and storage of the email (Belkhir & Elmeligi, 2018;ICT Carbon Footprint, 2016). Another study revealed that streaming videos for an hour will result in 0.42 kg of CO 2 e emitted (Schuler, 2016). ...
Maritime transport decarbonisation is accelerating considerably, driven by international and regional regulations and pressure from stakeholders requiring the shipping industry to contribute to curbing climate change impacts. While various technologies and measures are being discussed as part of shipping decarbonisation, the role of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) in this pursuit is still under-explored, despite extensive research on MASS. In this chapter, we delve into the intricate relationship between MASS and the imperative of decarbonisation. We present the architecture of MASS and the current prototype projects and analyse the upsides and downsides of MASS in relation to shipping decarbonisation. Our analysis of MASS technological advances and its contribution to decarbonisation efforts has unveiled both significant achievements and critical issues that seem to undermine its potential. MASS have the potential to reduce shipping carbon emissions through the use of advanced digital, information, communication, and intelligent technologies. However, it appears that with MASS, there may be an increase in energy intensity and usage due to their dependency on energy-consuming digital technologies, the redundancy of technologies, and the additional power required for the use of equipment that substitutes seafarers. This chapter contributes to the development of research on MASS and decarbonisation, supporting scholarly discussions and aiding policymakers in their decision-making processes. Notably, the chapter concludes with several recommendations useful to researchers, prototype project developers, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders.
... Despite the numerous benefits offered to the event organizers by utilizing digital sustainability, there are challenges such as the cost of digital resources, the digital divide, the cost of training, lack of technical and digital skills, lack of effective policy, and COVID-19 pandemic and its challenges in events destination (Carswell et al., 2023). To address these bottlenecks, it is important to demonstrate commitment to innovation, creativity and investment in digital technologies to support the sustainability of events planning and management (Belkhir and Elmeligi, 2018). ...
This paper aims to explore the digital sustainability practices of event organizers in the hospitality and tourism industry. Business events and all other events within the hospitality and tourism sector have grown in recent years. Notably, the issue of digital sustainable practices of event organizers has received academic and practitioners' attention. This is increasingly becoming a rallying point in the hospitality and tourism industry and event organizers should endeavour to be involved in ensuring sustainable practices of business events. A systematic review of extant literature work and analysis of several initiatives, good practices and challenges faced by event organizers in the hospitality and tourism industry, this paper provides insights regarding the transformative opportunity of digital technologies in repositioning the future of event enterprise. This commentary reveals the progress made in developing and implementing sustainable event management practices. In addition, the recurrence issues confronting events practitioners are highlighted and call for a deliberate collaborative approach and policy framework to address these challenges in order to foster a robust sustainable future event practice in the hospitality industry.
... The increasing production and rapid innovation cycles within the ICT sector have indeed enhanced ICT device capabilities but have also reduced product lifetimes, resulting in the generation of substantial amounts of e-waste as well as increasing energy consumption annually. In 2019 alone, the global production of electronic waste (e-waste) reached approximately 50 million tons, with a projected annual growth rate of 3-5% [6], and predictions suggesting the ICT sector could account for 14% of the global carbon footprint by 2040 [2], there is an urgent need to address sustainability in ICT procurement. ...
The rapid growth of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has led to escalating environmental and social impacts. This study develops and validates the Sustainable ICT Device Acquisition (SIDA) framework and tool, incorporating a Supplier Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) and Sustainability Guidelines to address these challenges. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we identify key barriers and enablers to sustainable ICT procurement. The proposed SIDA tool operationalizes the framework, empowering decision-makers with data-driven insights and comprehensive sustainability information. Workshops with industry practitioners and academic experts validate the tool's potential to raise awareness, streamline supplier evaluation, and enhance decision-making in alignment with sustainability goals. This research contributes a theoretically grounded and empirically validated framework and tool, promoting responsible ICT procurement decisions.
... p < .001) (Belkhir & Elmeligi, 2018;Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018). Furthermore, the correlation between understanding environmental impact and binge-watching habits is 0.30, suggesting a moderate positive relationship where students with greater understanding of environmental impacts are somewhat more likely to binge-watch (r(523) ¼ .30, ...
This study examined students' awareness of the environmental impacts associated with prolonged screen time, specifically during binge-watching sessions. It focused on students' understanding of carbon emissions from electronic devices, binge-watching behaviors, and factors like content preference, duration, and frequency. Potential interventions to reduce environmental impacts were also explored. A mixed-methods approach gathered data from 525 higher education students (150 male, 375 female) through standardized questionnaires. Analysis included percentages, t-tests, ANOVA, multiple correlations, and coding. Findings showed that 66.67% of students demonstrated a high understanding of environmental impacts from binge-watching, while only 4.76% were highly aware of carbon emissions from extended screen time. High binge-watching habits were noted in 23.81% of students. Gender differences were significant: females had a deeper understanding of environmental impacts (t = 4.08, p < α) and displayed different binge-watching habits compared to males (t = 3.16, p < α). However, no significant gender difference was found in carbon emissions awareness (t = 0.28, p > α). A strong distinction (t = 12.98, p < α) existed between understanding environmental impacts and carbon emissions awareness. Weak positive correlation (R = 0.36) and significant differences [F(2, 1572) = 320.10, p < 0.05, 0.01] emerged regarding environmental understanding, emissions awareness, and binge-watching behaviors. Influencing factors and potential interventions were identified.
... It acts to counteract climate change, recognizing that computer systems and IoT technologies, will become increasingly essential in our society, and consequently, they will account for a growing portion of total CO 2 emissions. Belkhir et al. [10] shown that Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGE) from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector could represent 14% of global GHGE by 2040. ...
The Internet of Things (IoT) is set to play a significant role in the future development of smart cities, which are designed to be environmentally friendly. However, the proliferation of these devices, along with their frequent replacements and the energy required to power them, contributes to a significant environmental footprint. In this paper we provide scientific evidences on the advantages of using an energy design pattern named ‘Batch Operations’ (BO) to optimize energy consumption on mobile devices. Big ICT companies like Google already batch multiple API calls instead of putting the device into an active state many times. This is supposed to save tail energy consumption in communication peripherals. To confirm this, we set up an experiment where we compare energy consumption and carbon emission when BO is applied to two communication peripherals on Android mobile device: 4G and GPS. Results show that (1) BO can save up to 40% energy when sending HTTP requests, resulting in an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. (2) no advantages for the GPS interface.
... According to the UN report, worldwide e-waste is predicted to hit 50 million tonnes per year and only 20% electronic and electrical waste is formally recycled (Balde et al., 2017;Mihai & Gnoni, 2016). Electronics, comprising PCs, laptops, monitors, displays, smart phones, and tablets (as well as their production), will account for 14% of all carbon emissions by 2040 (Belkhir, 2018;Belkhir & Elmeligi, 2018;Garam Bel et al., 2019). This represents only 50% of the current size of the world's transport industry. ...
This paper address to fostering the environmental issue of e-waste in India, and also the study aims to enhancing the attitude/awareness on e-waste management in higher education for developing the sustainable future in the field of economic growth in society as well as the world. Primary data were collected from 118 postgraduate and 90 PhD students drawn at random from different department of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Madhya Pradesh through using a self-prepared questionnaire of awareness scale on e-waste management in Google Form. The data were quantitatively analyzed using the mean, percentage and t-test by the help of 'IBM SPSS Statistics 21' software. The results of the investigation showed that, with regard to courses and age groups, there have existed statistically significant differences of awareness on e-waste management at the 0.05 level of confidence. Eventually, significant differences were not found between male and female students. This paper makes recommendations based on the findings in order to raise awareness of environmental concerns on e-waste management in higher education. Moreover, the current study will offer policymakers with useful information to help them take necessary initiatives to promote recycling behavior and understanding about e-waste management among higher education students.
... However, emissions generated by data centers are likely to rise as organizations embrace digital transformation strategies, something that calls for change to be made. The trend of emissions relative to data centers mainly depends on various variables, including the data processing load that results from the expansion of AI applications and increased internet activity [8]. The ever-rising complexities of computation, analyzed through technology such as blockchain and machine learning algorithms, compound the problem, increasing the importance of sustainable practices in data centers. ...
Data centers are critical in today’s digital business complex and underpin a vast range of applications; these include cloud computing, social networking, and artificial intelligence. However, the increased volume of data and processing requirements, along with the increasing scope of digital services, has raised concerns about energy consumption and the environment. Electrical consumption by data centers was estimated in 2018 to be at 200 TWh globally, which accounts for about 1% of total power usage; however, about 26% of this electricity comes from coal and natural gas. This energy consumption accounts for approximately 0.3% of the global CO₂ emissions, initiating the debate on the sustainability of data centers, given the current trends of increasing digitization. In this paper, the author is concerned with aspects related to data centers’ environmental footprint, specifically consumption, CO₂ emissions, and the possible impact of carbon taxation systems. Scholars also mention others, such as the energy grid and efficiency and utility measures like PUE- Power Usage Effectiveness. It also outlines the current process of lowering carbon emissions, such as shifting to renewables, enhancing cooling techniques, and applying modular design in data centers. Leading CSPs like Google, AWS, and Microsoft are key examples of the opportunities to lower emissions by procuring renewables and utilizing AI cooling. The paper is, therefore, intended to help policymakers, technology firms, and society at large employ sustainable remedies in data center operations. However, it highlights the need for adopting new regulations, technology, and international cooperation in the promotion of the expansion of digital innovations together with a sustainable environment. As the data centers advance through the margin, incorporating green measures will be essential for efforts to contain the environmental impact.
... (Degenhard, 2024) However, this stable increase also means an increased rate of smartphone disposition, whose mean usage life of only 3 years (Martinho et al, 2017). Belkhir and Elmeligi (2018) predicted that smartphones and data processing centers will be 2 the most environmentally damaging part of the communications sector by 2040. ...
The topic of consumers‟ product disposition was first introduced by Jacoby in 1977.
However, due to the hyper-fixation of researching and encouraging the acquisition
and consumption of new products as the world advances, research in this area is
still in its infancy and many aspects remain to be covered, especially lacking in
empirical-quantitative ones. This research uses a mixed-methods research design,
employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative interviews are
treated as an exploratory pilot test with a sample of 10 people. The quantitative
data used to analyze is drawn using an online survey, gaining a total of 253
responses. This study takes the options of “keeping the product” and “permanent
disposition” as the main focus, thus exploring the relatively little investigated causal relationships between various factors such as online communities or product quality, and consumers‟ disposition methods. The link between one‟s chosen disposition method and their post-disposal behavior, specifically their post-satisfaction level is also examined. This paper extended the knowledge in previous papers on the same topic, reinforcing the reliability of such conclusions in the context of Vietnam. At the same time, it also dived into one aspect of the post-disposal behavior, which up to this date is a rarely regarded topic. Though all of the links are very weak, online communities and product quality were both proven to have a positive effect on people‟s decision to choose to keep their old smartphones and permanently dispose of them. Choosing to store old smartphones and permanently dispose of them also have a positive effect on consumers‟ post-disposal satisfaction level. Although people generally do not throw their old phones away to avoid the feeling of guilt and wastefulness, a large number of people chose to hoard the smartphones and let them sit idly by, even when those smartphones can still be redistributed. This still causes the products‟ lifetimes to shorten, and measures need to be employed to shift this behavior.
... That is, the time required for a doubling of the value of y can be obtained by dividing 0.6931 by the value of the slope (m). The Koomey's law complements Moore's law, according to which the number of transistors in an Integrated Circuit (IC) doubles about every two years [53][54][55][56]. The great relevance of Moore's Law should be noted due to the fact that several measures of digital technology are improving by exponential rates, in line with its prediction, including density, size, memory capacity (RAM and flash), component speed, cost and, in particular, the computing performance (R). ...
For information and communication technology power consumption to be sustainable, the energy efficiency of computing systems must grow at least as fast as the demand for computing services. It is therefore crucial to understand how energy efficiency is evolving and how it will trend in the future, in order to take appropriate measures where possible. This article analyses the evolution of this parameter by analysing high-performance computers from 2008 to 2023, contrasting the results with those from Koomey's Law. It is concluded, after comparing the two that in the studied period and in the near future, energy efficiency continues to grow exponentially but at a slower rate than that established by Koomey's Law (maximum energy efficiency doubles every 2.29 years instead of every 1.57 years). Another interesting result is that energy efficiency grows at a slower rate (doubling every 2.29 years) than performance (doubling every 1.85 years).
... To date, measurement or estimation of the total UK ICT footprint covering wider aspects of the ICT landscape has yet to be completed [10]. We observed that such estimates can be found for global ICT emissions Malmodin and Lundén [11], [12], Belkhir and Elmeligi [13], Andrae and Edler [14] at between 1.8%-2.8% (2.1%-3.9% ...
As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use has become more prevalent, there has been a growing concern in how its associated greenhouse gas emissions will impact the climate. Estimating such ICT emissions is a difficult undertaking due to its complexity, its rapidly changing nature, and the lack of accurate and up-to-date data on individual stakeholder emissions. In this paper we provide a framework for estimating ICT's carbon footprint and identify some of the issues that impede the task. We attempt to gain greater insight into the factors affecting the ICT sector by drawing on a number of interviews with industry experts. We conclude that more accurate emissions estimates will only be possible with a more more detailed, industry informed, understanding of the whole ICT landscape and much more transparent reporting of energy usage and emissions data by ICT stakeholders.
... Due to the limited lifetime of the devices and to promote employee mobile communications, businesses that provide free cell phones to staff should reconsider their strategy. Together, these initiatives contribute to a sustainable ICT sector and a decrease in the industry's carbon dioxide emissions (Belkhir & Elmeligi, 2018). ...
This chapter explores the business sector, underlining its pivotal role in global decarbonisation efforts. Central to the chapter is an analysis of carbon emissions within the business sector, tracing its historical trajectory, current status, and future forecasts. It mentions decarbonisation’s imperative and potential implications for mitigating climate change. In exploring decarbonisation strategies and applications, the chapter overviews various approaches, from technological innovations to policy interventions. The chapter further presents the role of key players and stakeholders in driving decarbonisation efforts within the business sector. From governmental bodies to grassroots organisations, each entity’s contributions and commitments to decarbonisation are examined, alongside the importance of social interactions and community involvement in fostering sustainable practices. The discourse also addresses the challenges and barriers hindering effective implementation, underscoring the need for collaborative action and systemic changes. Finally, the chapter spotlights 55 notable business cases from 24 countries within the Business sector, showcasing exemplary initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable land use practices.
... The urgency of adopting sustainable computing practices has become increasingly evident in light of global energy disparities and the escalating environmental footprint of technological advancements. Estimations from recent studies have put the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector's carbon footprint at approximately 1.5% to 4% [1,16,23,74,76] of worldwide carbon emissions. Additionally, US electricity demand is rising again after a plateau around the mid-2000s, fueled mainly by the changes in computing demand due to more remote work, streaming, and artificial intelligence [31,47,73,78]. ...
Sustainability in computing is critical as environmental concerns rise. The cloud industry's carbon footprint is significant and rapidly growing. We show that dynamic geospatial shifting of cloud workloads to regions with lower carbon emission energy sources, particularly for more portable cloud workloads such as serverless applications, has a high potential to lower operational carbon emissions. To make the case, we build a comprehensive framework called Caribou that offloads serverless workflows across geo-distributed regions. Caribou requires no change in the application logic, nor on the provider side. It dynamically determines the best deployment plans, automatically (re-)deploys functions to appropriate regions, and redirects traffic to new endpoints. In reducing operational carbon through fine-grained, function-level offloading, Caribou does not undermine standard metrics such as performance and cost. We show how this approach can reduce the carbon footprint by an average of 22.9% to 66.6% across the North American continent. We demonstrate how a detailed specification of location constraints (e.g., to ensure compliance of one stage) can allow emission reductions for workflows (e.g., by offloading other stages). By showcasing the feasibility of carbon-aware geospatial application deployment, Caribou aims to push the boundaries of system techniques available to curtail cloud carbon emissions and provide a framework for future research.
... However, some studies suggest that enterprise digital transformation can lead to negative environmental externalities. During the process of digital transformation, the prolonged operation of data centers and extensive utilization of digital products by enterprises can increase their carbon emissions [21][22][23]. Additionally, some other studies suggest that the relationship between digital transformation and carbon emissions is uncertain. ...
The vigorous development of the digital economy, alongside the collaborative promotion of enterprise digital transformation and low-carbon supply chains, has emerged as a critical pathway for achieving green and high-quality development in enterprises. In this paper, we utilize a mathematical model framework to empirically investigate the mechanisms and impacts of enterprise digital transformation on the low-carbon effect of supply chains, employing data from A-share-listed companies spanning 2011 to 2021. The findings indicate that (1) enhancing the degree of enterprise digital transformation can significantly decrease the carbon emission intensity of upstream suppliers, thereby promoting low-carbon supply chains. (2) “Innovation-driven” and “structural transformation” mechanisms are vital channels by which enterprise digital transformation promotes carbon reduction in supply chains. (3) The diffusion mechanism effect and demonstration effect exhibit heterogeneity in the process of enterprise digital transformation, driving low-carbon emission reductions in supply chains.
... Digitalization of government operations not only does it holds promise for enhancing government efficiency and environmental sustainability (Marcovecchio et al., 2019), it also presents implementation challenges (Basu, 2004;Krishnan and Teo, 2011;Ziolo et al., 2020) and also the significant energy consumption in the production, operation, and disposal of digital devices and overall ICT infrastructure raises the quest to probe whether the energy intensity of digitalization have benefits that exceeds the sunk costs (Belkhir and Elmeligi, 2018), hence the need for more empirical evidence for informed decision-making. Many studies have examined and confirmed the positive impact of e-government on environmental performance (Zioło et al., 2022;Lee, 2017), and so the impact of strong state capacity on environmental management (Gök and Sodhi, 2021;Kulin and Sevä, 2019;Tian et al., 2022). ...
E-government is a prominent approach in environmental sustainability as it brings various arrangements that allow for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. The article explores two main objectives. Firstly, the direct impact of e-government on ecological sustainability and secondly, whether e-government enhances environmental sustainability indirectly by improving state capacity. By understanding this nexus, we believe that states in LDCs will seek to explore the maximum potential benefits of ICTs in government operations to establish a more responsive, open, and people-oriented government. The paper utilizes a balanced macro-panel sample of 45 United Nations classified least developed countries from 2003 to 2022. To ensure the reliability of empirical findings, three econometric methods—system generalized methods of moments (GMM), instrumental variable GMM (IV-GMM), and bootstrap ordinary least squares (BOLS) are employed. The results of the entire sample model reveal several key findings. These findings are that e-government development has a direct and positive impact on environmental sustainability, secondly state capacity negatively influences ecological sustainability, and lastly e-government development indirectly affects environmental sustainability by enhancing state capacity. Additionally, intriguing sub-sample findings for least developed countries in Africa and Asia are observed, with notable lessons from the latter, where environmental performance is improving at the expense of a high volume of carbon emissions. However, these overall findings underscore the importance of considering how governments can address environmental sustainability requirements by managing e-government programs and enacting responsible ICT-enabled transformations.
... The rapid digitalization of energy systems, akin to digitalization in other facets of human existence, may lead to heightened energy consumption. Should the energy derive from fossil fuels, this could subsequently give rise to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, threatening environmentally focused SDGs (Belkhir and Elmeligi 2018;Lange et al. 2020). ...
In today's world, characterized by growing energy consumption, depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, and increasing risk to energy services, attaining sustainable energy is critical. The increasing use of information technologies, also known as digitalization, has led to fundamental transformations in energy systems. Digitalization enhances the stability of energy systems, enables the integration of power generation with end users, reduces peak demand, speeds up energy supply restoration after disruption, reduces operating expenses, and facilitates the integration of renewables into energy systems. Thus, the digitalization of energy can contribute to achieving many of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 7, "Affordable and clean energy." While the potential benefits of such digital-ization are widely recognized, its challenges, especially those impacting sustainable development, are less frequently discussed in academic literature. The study aims to analyze the implementations and benefits of digital technologies across various aspects of the energy industry. It specifically discusses the impact of the digitalization of energy on achieving Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the benefits and challenges it can bring.
... The second category of research suggests that the digital economy may exacerbate industry carbon emissions. From the perspective of carbon footprint, the development of digital smart devices, particularly the widespread use of information and communication technology (ICT), is expected to lead to a significant increase in carbon emissions in the short term (Belkhir and Elmeligi 2018;I et al. 2020). The carbon emissions from ICT networks primarily stem from the electricity consumption of end-user devices, with a simple linear relationship between emissions and the number of users (Ruiz et al. 2022). ...
The booming digital economy is promoting industrial upgrading and transformation, providing an opportunity for the industrial low-carbon development. Based on input–output analysis and panel data regression, the impact of the input of intermediate digital products on Chinese industrial carbon intensity from 1997 to 2017 has been evaluated. The results reveal that the input of China’s intermediate digital products can significantly reduce industrial carbon intensity, and significantly reduce the carbon intensity of non-energy-intensive industries. It has also been discovered that the input of intermediate digital product manufacturing can significantly reduce the carbon intensity of different types of industries, while the input of the intermediate digital products services industry has no significant effect on the reduction of industrial carbon intensity. Channel analysis shows that the input of the intermediate digital products can reduce industrial carbon intensity by improving productive efficiency and promoting innovative technology. In the current climate, it is especially necessary to increase the input of the intermediate digital product manufacturing industry in industrial development.
... Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which systems engineering heavily relies on, currently contributes to about 2-4% of global CO 2 emissions, comparable to the carbon emissions of the avionics sector. Without intervention, this number is projected to increase to about 14% by 2040 [11]. However, to follow suit with the rest of the economy, the ICT sector should-directly or indirectly-decrease its CO 2 emissions by 42% by 2030, 72% by 2040, and 91% by 2050 [69]. ...
The perception of the value and propriety of modern engineered systems is changing. In addition to their functional and extra-functional properties, nowadays' systems are also evaluated by their sustainability properties. The next generation of systems will be characterized by an overall elevated sustainability -- including their post-life, driven by efficient value retention mechanisms. Current systems engineering practices fall short of supporting these ambitions and need to be revised appropriately. In this paper, we introduce the concept of circular systems engineering, a novel paradigm for systems sustainability, and define two principles to successfully implement it: end-to-end sustainability and bipartite sustainability. We outline typical organizational evolution patterns that lead to the implementation and adoption of circularity principles, and outline key challenges and research opportunities.
... Furthermore, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, encompassing mobile phone networks, digital devices, and television, accounts for 2 per cent of global emissions (Jones, 2018). Greenhouse gas emissions from the ICT industry could surpass 14 per cent worldwide by 2040, exceeding half of the current contribution from the entire transportation sector (Belkhir and Elmeligi, 2018). The cooling systems of data centres require substantial amounts of water, raising policy concerns in regions such as the US and Australia that have experienced prolonged droughts (Mosco, 2017). ...
... Furthermore, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, encompassing mobile phone networks, digital devices, and television, accounts for 2 per cent of global emissions (Jones, 2018). Greenhouse gas emissions from the ICT industry could surpass 14 per cent worldwide by 2040, exceeding half of the current contribution from the entire transportation sector (Belkhir and Elmeligi, 2018). The cooling systems of data centres require substantial amounts of water, raising policy concerns in regions such as the US and Australia that have experienced prolonged droughts (Mosco, 2017). ...
... Strengthening security of supply in a fully decarbonized and digitalized power system while mitigating the effects of climate change (e.g., [11], [12]) or cyber-attacks [13], [14]. Containing ICT-related demand growth of digital energy systems, e.g., driven through newly added data centers [15], [16], use of artificial intelligence [17], [18] or blockchain-based cryptocurrencies [19]. ...
Digital technologies and increasing amounts of data have the power to transform policy making worldwide. While vast research and development activities are carried out on the benefits of digitalization for the industry, little attention has been directed on the way digital technologies reshape (energy) policy processes. Using a conceptual lens, we first describe the digitalization phenomena and how digital technologies become adopted along the policy making cycle. Based on these findings, and lending theoretical foundations from autonomous driving, we introduce a 6-staged framework of autonomy in policy making applied to digitalizing energy systems. We conclude our analysis by arguing that there is a silent revolution on the way where governments strive to reach level autonomy levels 1-2 today, being only halfway from fully autonomous policy making. Increasingly automated policy making processes raise important societal questions-on the technical design, societal trade-offs and ethical dilemma that have to become urgently addressed. Authors (1) Dr. Fabian Heymann, Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) (2) Dr. Sinan Küfeoğlu, UK Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) (3) Dr. Matthias Galus, Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) Acknowledgements The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFOE or Ofgem.
Ising machines are dedicated hardware solvers of NP-hard optimization problems. However, they do not always find the most optimal solution. The probability of finding this optimal solution depends on the problem at hand. Using continuation methods, we show that this is closely linked to how the ground state emerges from other states when a system parameter is changed, i.e. its bifurcation sequence. From this analysis, we can determine the effectiveness of solution schemes. Moreover, we find that the proper choice of implementation of the Ising machine can drastically change this bifurcation sequence and therefore vastly increase the probability of finding the optimal solution. Lastly, we also show that continuation methods themselves can be used directly to solve optimization problems.
This study examines the use of a Hybrid Rooftop Solar Power Plant (HRSP) at Yogyakarta Station as a strategic step towards the utilization of renewable energy. The background of this research is highlighted by the global urgency of global warming and climate change, which have wide-ranging impacts on various aspects of life, including the energy sector. As a tropical country, Indonesia has a significant potential in the use of renewable energy, especially solar energy. Yogyakarta Station, as one of the main railway stations in Indonesia serving thousands of passengers daily, requires a high electricity supply, currently predominantly fueled by fossil fuels from PLN. The use of these fossil fuels contributes to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, a major cause of global warming.This study focuses on the economic analysis of utilizing a Hybrid Rooftop Solar Power Plant (HRSP) at Yogyakarta Station as a strategic step towards renewable energy. The station, a key element in mass transportation, requires a significant supply of electrical energy, currently mostly derived from fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. The HRSP is proposed as an environmentally friendly alternative, combining solar energy with other sources for sustainable electricity supply. Although it entails a substantial initial investment, technical and economic analyses indicate economic viability, with a Net Present Cost (NPC) of IDR 2,152,699,000.00 and a Cost of Energy (COE) of IDR 1,071.96. With the solar energy potential in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, implementing HRSP could be an economical and sustainable step to replace fossil energy sources at the railway station.
A klímasemleges elektronikus hírközlés megteremtése az iparág felelőssége, és a globális éghajlatváltozás miatt fellépő felmelegedési trendek miatt sürgősen cselekedni kell. Ennek ellenére a környezeti fenntarthatóság az elektronikus hírközlési szektor szabályozásában eddig nem kapott megfelelő figyelmet Magyarországon, és kapcsolódó kutatások, cikkek vagy tanulmányok sem igen születtek. A jelen tanulmány célja pótolni e hiányosságot, áttekinteni a releváns nemzetközi, európai uniós és hazai szabályozási helyzetet, valamint a kapcsolódó trendeket, ezáltal átfogó képet adni a fenntarthatósági kezdeményezésekről az elektronikus hírközlési szektorban, majd azt értékelve javaslatokat tenni a hazai szabályozói fellépés lehetséges cselekvési irányaira. Ezzel remélhetőleg kiindulópontként szolgálhat az iparági diskurzus elindításához és a zöld átmenet megfelelő pozicionálásához az elektronikus hírközlés szabályozásában.
Este capítulo aborda la problemática relación que mantienen los medios de comunicación con la sostenibilidad medioambiental en un ecosistema en el que la esfera digital se ha convertido en el escenario de gran parte de las interacciones sociales cotidianas. La falsa percepción de que la tecnología digital carece de impacto material ha contribuido a presentar las soluciones digitales como un ejemplo de transición ecológica responsable. Siendo cierto que estas transformaciones pueden reducir el impacto de las sociedades industriales clásicas, la promoción de su empleo a escala global, ubicua y constante provoca efectos dañinos para el medio ambiente. Así, este capítulo analiza la digitalización prestando atención a sus efectos en cinco fases diferenciadas: a) el diseño de dispositivos tecnológicos orientados hacia un consumo acelerado y una renovación permanente, b) la extracción de los materiales necesarios para fabricar y mantener el entramado digital que habitamos, c) el proceso de manufactura con sus conflictivas relaciones sociales, económicas y laborales, d) el empleo por parte de individuos y grupos, y e) la gestión de los crecientes desechos tecnológicos. Adicionalmente, se completa un primer abordaje sobre las políticas de responsabilidad social corporativa de las principales corporaciones globales en el sector tecnológico, centrado en las propuestas formuladas en materia de sostenibilidad.
Reducing time taken to respond to climate events, AI also helps manage resource usage for higher climate resilience besides helping with superior analytical abilities. The effects of the extreme weather can be prevented and the impact of such a calamity reduced by using models that are AI driven to analyze a large amount of data regarding the environment, in order to forecast catastrophic weather conditions. In agriculture, food security is avengers by AI managing irrigation and crop grades based on the changes in climate. Thus, integrating AI into climate strategies, it is possible to create efficient adaptive, resilient systems that anticipate and respond to the adverse effects of climate change.Additionally, it suggests that the article will examine the current state of Artificial Intelligence in climate change and give 13 suggestions on how to find and use AI's chances to fight climate change while minimizing its negative environmental effects.
Günümüzde iklim krizi, çevresel etkilerin yanı sıra siyasal, sosyal ve ekonomik boyutlarda tartışılan ve üzerine çözüm aranan küresel bir tehdit haline gelmiştir. Teknolojik ve sosyoekonomik gelişmelere bağlı doğal kaynakların giderek azalması kaynakların daha verimli, sürdürülebilir ve akılcı kullanımını zorunlu hale getirmiştir. Kaynakların daha sürdürülebilir kullanılabilmesi, enerji ve zaman verimliliğinin sağlanması için tarım, endüstri, su yönetimi, ulaşım, afet durumları gibi birçok alanda akıllı dijital sistemlerden daha fazla faydalanılmaya başlanmıştır. Özellikle covid-19 sürecinde eğitim, sağlık, medya vb. alanlarda süreç dijital olarak yönetilmiş ve home ofis gibi çalışma sistemleri giderek yaygınlaşmıştır. Sağladığı bu fayda ve kolaylıkların yanı sıra dijital cihazların üretimi ve kullanımı sırasında ortaya çıkan karbon ayak izi, elektronik atıkların yönetimi, veri merkezlerinin enerji tüketim ihtiyacının giderek artması gibi sorunlar nedeniyle dijitalleşmenin iklim krizi üzerindeki etkileri akademik anlamda tartışılmaya başlanmıştır. Bu bağlamda ortaya konulan bu çalışmada dijitalleşmenin iklim krizi üzerindeki etkilerini ve iklim krizinin çözümünde nasıl bir rol oynayabileceğinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada iklim krizinin meydana gelmesinde etkili olan faktörler ve etkileri detaylı olarak anlatıldıktan sonra dijitalleşmenin avantaj ve dezavantajlarının çevresel etkileri bütüncül yaklaşımla ele alınmıştır. Daha sonra iklim krizi ve dijitalleşme farklı boyutlarıyla ve örnek politika ve uygulamalar özelinde tartışılmıştır. Sonuç kısmında ise genel değerlendirme ve politika önerilerine yer verilmiştir. Çağımızın birbirinden ayrılmaz iki önemli temel olgusu olan iklim krizi ve dijitalleşmeyi farklı boyutlarıyla bütüncül bir yaklaşımla incelemeyi amaçlayan çalışmanın, dijitalleşme sürecinde iklim krizinin çevresel etkilerinin azaltılması, sürdürülebilir dijital uygulama ve stratejilere yönelik çalışmalara da katkı sunması beklenmektedir.
The term "perspective" in the context of media practices generally implies a focus on visual perspective and "point of view" However, an investigation into listener perspective reveals a wealth of considerations for and insights into the design and perception of a variety of media experiences. This chapter will provide an introduction into such topics with the focus on games and virtual reality, as these both require an understanding of the implications of medium-specific affordances for embodiment and listening perspective. Focusing on emerging technologies not only provides a glimpse of what is to come, but also a useful lens with which to re-evaluate the status quo concerning audio use in other media.
In recent years, the global use of online video services has increased rapidly. Today, a manifold of applications, such as video streaming, video conferencing, live broadcasting, and social networks, make use of this technology. A recent study found that the development and the success of these services had as a consequence that, nowadays, more than 1% of the global greenhouse-gas emissions are related to online video, with growth rates close to 10% per year. This article reviews the latest findings concerning energy consumption of online video from the system engineer’s perspective, where the system engineer is the designer and operator of a typical online video service. We discuss all relevant energy sinks, highlight dependencies with quality-of-service variables as well as video properties, review energy consumption models for different devices from the literature, and aggregate these existing models into a global model for the overall energy consumption of a generic online video service. Analyzing this model and its implications, we find that end-user devices and video encoding have the largest potential for energy savings. Finally, we provide an overview of recent advances in energy efficiency improvement for video streaming and propose future research directions for energy-efficient video streaming services.
In order to contribute to the discourse in the theoretical and practical domains, the current study examines the noteworthy confluence of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and sustainable technologies. This research investigates the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and sustainable technologies, as well as the intersection of these two domains, through a thorough evaluation of pertinent academic literature. This study explores a variety of theoretical frameworks, including ethical considerations, techno-optimistic viewpoints, and eco-centric perspectives. This study includes empirical information from case studies, such as using IBM Watson to optimize energy grids, by utilizing secondary data. After that, these instances are contrasted in order to evaluate the viability and efficacy of various applications, including artificial general intelligence (AGI). Furthermore, the research addresses the practical and ethical problems that result from the coupling of artificial general intelligence (AGI) with sustainability, while also offering workable policy solutions. However, there are a number of limitations to this research, including the reliance on secondary data sources, the intricacies stemming from its multidisciplinary approach, and the potential for cultural and regional prejudices. Prospective research avenues suggest that primary data collection should be undertaken, interdisciplinary collaboration should be encouraged, and studies covering different geographic and cultural perspectives should be carried out. For scholars, practitioners, and legislators interested in investigating the synergistic relationship between artificial general intelligence (AGI) and sustainable technology, this study is a foundational piece of work.
In this paper, we forecast the future carbon footprint of the
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and
Entertainment and Media (E&M) sectors in the year 2020
including the ICT and E&M related impact from a networked
society, i.e. a society where both people and things are
connected and communicate with each other. We also discuss
sector boundaries, the full impact from the networked society,
uncertainty, use of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) as data
source and important perspectives when assessing ICT.
Link to paper: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2d24/59dbf04c61b5bc1aa296b07419a9d9db00d3.pdf?_ga=2.197965418.419761823.1597916682-665553063.1597916682
Conference proceedings: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-007337628
Purpose The aim of this study is to explore the literature surrounding the environmental impact of mobile phones and the implications of moving from the current business model of selling, using and discarding phones to a product service system based upon a cloud service. The exploration of the impacts relating to this shift and subsequent change in scope is explored in relation to the life cycle profile of a typical smartphone. Methods A literature study is conducted into the existing literature in order to define the characteristics of a Btypical^ smartphone. Focus is given to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in different life cycle phases in line with that reported in the majority of literature. Usage patterns from literature are presented in order to show how a smartphone is increasingly responsible for not only data consumption but also data generation. The subsequent consequences of this for the balance of the life cycle phases are explored with the inclusion of wider elements in the potential expanded mobile infrastructure , such as servers and the network. Results and discussion From the available literature, the manufacturing phase is shown to dominate the life cycle of a "typical" smartphone for GHG emissions. Smartphone users are shown to be increasingly reliant upon the internet for provision of their communications. Adding a server into the scope of a smartphone is shown to increase the use phase impact from 8.5 to 18.0 kg CO 2-eq, other phases are less affected. Addition of the network increases the use phase by another 24.7 kg CO 2-eq. In addition, it is shown that take-back of mobile phones is not effective at present and that prompt return of the phones could result in reduction in impact by best reuse potential and further reduction in toxic emissions through inappropriate disposal. Conclusions The way in which consumers interact with their phones is changing, leading to a system which is far more integrated with the internet. A product service system based upon a cloud service highlights the need for improved energy efficiency to make greatest reduction in GHG emissions in the use phase, and gives a mechanism to exploit residual value of the handsets by timely return of the phones, their components and recovery of materials.
The increasing consumption patterns in emerging economies like India and China with half the world population has increased the environmental concerns. E-waste in these countries is rapidly increasing and monitor is one of the major contributors to it. The paper aims at assessing the life cycle environmental impact of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) monitors. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of three widely used monitors has been performed based on the international standards of ISO 14040 series. The LCA was constructed using Umberto software version 5.6 and expressed with both CML (Centrum voor Milieuwetenschappen) 2001, mid-point assessment method and Impact 2002+, end point assessment method. This study is expected to guide policy makers in government to improve e-waste management strategies and also it will create awareness among the user. The monitor manufacturers may leverage the study to improve the environmental impact of these products. Sensitivity analysis for the use phase has been performed to confirm the robustness of results.
This work presents an estimation of the global electricity usage that can be ascribed to Communication Technology (CT) between 2010 and 2030. The scope is three scenarios for use and production of consumer devices, communication networks and data centers. Three different scenarios, best, expected, and worst, are set up, which include annual numbers of sold devices, data traffic and electricity intensities/efficiencies. The most significant trend, regardless of scenario, is that the proportion of use-stage electricity by consumer devices will decrease and will be transferred to the networks and data centers. Still, it seems like wireless access networks will not be the main driver for electricity use. The analysis shows that for the worst-case scenario, CT could use as much as 51% of global electricity in 2030. This will happen if not enough improvement in electricity efficiency of wireless access networks and fixed access networks/data centers is possible. However, until 2030, globally-generated renewable electricity is likely to exceed the electricity demand of all networks and data centers. Nevertheless, the present investigation suggests, for the worst-case scenario, that CT electricity usage could contribute up to 23% of the globally released greenhouse gas emissions in 2030.
Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency that has generated considerable public interest, including both booms in value and busts of exchanges dealing in Bitcoins. One of the fundamental concepts of Bitcoin is that work, called mining, must be done in checking all monetary transactions, which in turn creates Bitcoins as a reward. In this paper we look at the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining. We consider if and when Bitcoin mining has been profitable compared to the energy cost of performing the mining, and conclude that specialist hardware is usually required to make Bitcoin mining profitable. We also show that the power currently used for Bitcoin mining is comparable to Ireland's electricity consumption.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices and services are becoming more and more widespread in all aspects of human life. Following an increased worldwide focus on the environmental impacts of energy consumption in general, there is also a growing attention to the electricity consumption associated with ICT equipment.
In this paper we assess how ICT electricity consumption in the use phase has evolved from 2007 to 2012 based on three main ICT categories: communication networks, personal computers, and data centers. We provide a detailed description of how we calculate the electricity use and evolution in these three categories.
Our estimates show that the yearly growth of all three individual ICT categories (10%, 5%, and 4% respectively) is higher than the growth of worldwide electricity consumption in the same time frame (3%). The relative share of this subset of ICT products and services in the total worldwide electricity consumption has increased from about 3.9% in 2007 to 4.6% in 2012. We find that the absolute electricity consumption of each of the three categories is still roughly equal. This highlights the need for energy-efficiency research across all these domains, rather than focusing on a single one.
Televisions (TVs) account for a significant portion of residential electricity consumption and global TV shipments are expected to continue to increase. We assess the market trends in the energy efficiency of TVs that are likely to occur without any additional policy intervention and estimate that TV efficiency will likely improve by over 60% by 2015 with savings potential of 45 terawatt-hours [TW h] per year in 2015, compared to today’s technology. We discuss various energy-efficiency improvement options and evaluate the cost effectiveness of three of them. At least one of these options improves efficiency by at least 20% cost effectively beyond ongoing market trends. We provide insights for policies and programs that can be used to accelerate the adoption of efficient technologies to further capture global energy savings potential from TVs which we estimate to be up to 23 TW h per year in 2015.
This article quantifies the global carbon footprint of mobile communication systems, and discusses its ecological and economic implications. Using up-to-date data and life cycle assessment models, we predict an increase of CO2 equivalent emissions by a factor of three until 2020 compared to 2007, rising from about 86 to 235 Mto CO2e, suggesting a steeper increase than predicted in the well-known SMART2020 report. We provide a breakdown of the global carbon footprint, which reveals that production of mobile devices and global radio access network operation will remain the major contributors, accompanied by an increasing share of emissions due to data transfer in the backbone resulting from rising mobile traffic volumes. The energy bill due to network operation will gain increasing importance in cellular business models. Furthermore, technologies to reduce energy consumption are considered a key enabler for the spread of mobile communications in developing countries. Taking into account several scenarios of technological advancement and rollout, we analyze the overall energy consumption of global radio access networks and illustrate the saving potential of green communication technologies. We conclude that, conditioned on quick implementation and alongside other "classical" improvements of spectral efficiency, these technologies offer the potential to serve three orders of magnitude more traffic with the same overall energy consumption as today.
There is a growing research interest in improving the energy efficiency of communication networks. In order to assess the impact of introducing new energy efficient technologies, an up-to-date estimate for the global electricity consumption in communication networks is needed. In this paper we consider the use phase electricity consumption of telecom operator networks, office networks and customer premises equipment. Our results show that the network electricity consumption is growing fast, at a rate of 10 % per year, and its relative contribution to the total worldwide electricity consumption has increased from 1.3% in 2007 to 1.8% in 2012. We estimate the worldwide electricity consumption of communication networks will exceed 350 TWh in 2012.
European and national policies are aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and increasing energy efficiency—also in the household sector. For this purpose, new solutions for private homes based on information and communication technologies (ICT) are being developed and tested. However, up to now, hardly anyone has seen, experienced or lived in an environment that offers the full range of ICT-based energy management solutions. In this study, consumer reactions to a fully furnished and equipped smart home are analysed using focus groups (four groups with a total of 29 participants). The analysis looks at consumer perceptions of and reactions to an energy management system which optimizes electricity consumption based on different ICT solutions. The topics that were demonstrated in practice and then discussed with the participants included variable tariffs, smart metering, smart appliances, and home automation. In general, there were positive group reactions to the smart home environment. Consumers saw many advantages for themselves; especially the chance to save money. However, giving up high levels of flexibility and adapting everyday routines to fit in with electricity tariffs were regarded as difficult. Smart appliances and smart meters were therefore considered to be necessary elements by most participants. Concerns regarding data privacy played a major role in one of the groups.
As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is becoming more and more wide-spread and pervasive in our daily life, it is important to get a realistic overview of the worldwide impact of ICT on the environment in general and on energy and electricity needs in particular. This paper reports on a detailed study to estimate this impact today and to predict how this will evolve in the future. From this survey, important conclusions for the future of ICT industry and the Internet will be drawn, and challenges and research directives will be deduced.
This study proposes an easy-to-use methodology to estimate the materials embodied energy and manufacturing energy for a product. The tool requires as input the product's Bill of Materials and the knowledge on how these materials are processed (or an educated guess); the resulting output represents the sum of all the energy inputs into a product system in the form of a value range on the energy requirements of the product during its beginning of life. This includes extraction of materials, processing, and manufacture of the final product.
In current society it is becoming more and more important to take energy efficiency considerations into account when designing
information and communication technology (ICT) solutions. In ICT, virtualisation is being regarded as a way to increase energy
efficiency. One such virtualization solution which can be realized trough grids or cloud computing is the thin client paradigm.
This paper analyses the energy saving opportunities of the thin client paradigm.
This paper attempts to provide a review of the current state of the art of how e-business/ICT affects the environment. The work reviewed is in various forms including journal papers and thesis which have been peer-reviewed, as well as other resources such as projects and project reports, conference and symposia, and websites. It is claimed that the research examined has captured the most important work to date, either for a general knowledge of this new area or for background study by experts carrying out future research. The review has found that the currently dominant approach is either a micro-level case study approach or a macro-level statistical approach. It is concluded that a more predictive and empirical model, which can be applied within a sector of society, should be more beneficial in the long term. This approach should help simulate potential impacts resulting from changes of indicators, so that positive effects can be promoted and negative ones alleviated proactively, rather than knowing and accepting outcomes passively.
The characteristics of an innovative electric energy system, Smart Grid, meeting the demands of the customers and complying with the regulatory changes are presented. One of the features is that the Smart Grid should allow for the integration of renewable energy resources to address global climate change and allow for active customer participation to enable far better energy conservation. The Smart Grid involves installation of much new, intelligent equipment at all critical generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption points. The use of the real time data, combined with integrated system modeling and powerful new diagnostic tools and techniques, will provide the detection of precursors to failure in order to drive preventive maintenance and dynamic work management systems. Distributed generation and storage resources and remotely controlled equipment will play an important role in the management of the Smart Grid energy system to address contingency needs and to optimize power flow and minimize system losses.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of desktop personal computers (PCs) are analyzed to assess the environmental impact of PCs and to explain inconsistencies and disagreements across existing studies. Impacts, characterized in this work in terms of primary energy demand and global warming potential, are decomposed into inventory components and impact per component in order to expose such inconsistencies. Additional information from related studies, especially regarding use-phase energy consumption, helps interpret the LCA results. The weight of evidence strongly suggests that for primary energy demand and contribution to climate change, the use phase is the dominant life cycle phase; manufacturing impacts are smaller but substantial, and impacts due to product transportation and end-of-life activities are much smaller. Each of the few LCA studies that report manufacturing impacts as being greater than use-phase impacts make unrealistically low assumptions regarding use-phase energy consumption. Estimates of manufacturing impacts, especially those related to printed circuit boards and integrated circuits, are highly uncertain and variable; such estimates are very difficult to evaluate, and more systematic research is needed to reduce these uncertainties. The type of computer analyzed, such as low-power light desktop or high-power workstation, may dominate the total impact; future studies should therefore base their estimates on a large sample to smooth out this variation, or explicitly restrict the analysis to a specific type of computer.
A three-day workshop was held in October 2001 to discuss life cycle inventory data for electricity production. Electricity was selected as the topic for discussion since it features very prominently in the LCA results for most product life cycles, yet there is no consistency in how these data are calculated and presented. Approximately 40 people attended all or part of the meeting to discuss issues of data modeling and collection. Attendees included recognized experts in the electricity generation and life cycle assessment fields.Five main topics of discussion were identified before the meeting began: (1) modeling the response of the energy supply system to demand (i.e. marginal versus average data); (2) defining the breadth and width of system boundaries to adequately capture environmental flows and data that are needed for impact modeling; (3) allocating environmental burdens across co-products that come from the same process; (4) modeling new and non-traditional technologies in which the data are highly uncertain; and (5) including transmission and distribution in modeling of electricity generation. Breakout groups addressed the first four topic areas in individual discussion groups and reported the results in a plenary session on the last day of the workshop (it was decided during the meeting to include “transmission and distribution” in other discussions).A key success of the workshop was the creation of the larger network of LCA and electricity production experts which will provide a good foundation for continued discussions.
Energy consumption in the residential and tertiary sectors is especially high in developed countries. There is a great potential for energy savings in these sectors. Energy conservation measures are developed for newly constructed buildings and for buildings under refurbishment. However, to achieve a significant reduction in energy consumption apart from the standard energy-efficiency methods, innovative technologies should be implemented, including renewable energy. Coherency of standard, modern energy efficiency and renewable options becomes necessities. To approach the idea of sustainable buildings, a few developmental steps are needed, regarding energy, water, land and material conservation, together with environmental loading, and the qualities of the indoor and outdoor environments.
The total energy and fossil fuels used in producing a desktop computer with 17-in. CRT monitor are estimated at 6400 megajoules (MJ) and 260 kg, respectively. This indicates that computer manufacturing is energy intensive: the ratio of fossil fuel use to product weight is 11, an order of magnitude larger than the factor of 1-2 for many other manufactured goods. This high energy intensity of manufacturing, combined with rapid turnover in computers, results in an annual life cycle energy burden that is surprisingly high: about 2600 MJ per year, 1.3 times that of a refrigerator. In contrast with many home appliances, life cycle energy use of a computer is dominated by production (81%) as opposed to operation (19%). Extension of usable lifespan (e.g. by reselling or upgrading) is thus a promising approach to mitigating energy impacts as well as other environmental burdens associated with manufacturing and disposal.
Using hybrid assessment that combines process and economic input-output methods, the total energy and fossil fuels used in producing a desktop computer with 17-inch CRT monitor are estimated at 7,320 Megajoules (MJ) and 290 kg respectively. This indicates that the network of industries for manufacturing computers is energy intensive: the ratio of fossil fuel use to product weight for a computer is 12, an order of magnitude larger than the factor of 1-2 for many other manufactured goods. In contrast with many home appliances, life cycle energy use of a computer is dominated by production (83%) as opposed to operation (17%). The yearly life cycle cost of owning a computer is about 3,000 MJ/year, half again that of a refrigerator, a much larger appliance that uses far more electricity in operation. The short lifespan of computers and the variety of computing needs of users suggests that extension of lifespan, for example by promptly reselling to users who need less computing power, is a promising approach to mitigating environmental impacts.
OLED and LED TV Power Consumption and Electricity Cost
- M Azzabi
Azzabi, M., 18 05 2017. OLED and LED TV Power Consumption and Electricity
Cost [Online]. Available: http://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/led-oled-powerconsumption-and-electricity-cost [Accessed 04 September 2017].
Green server design: beyond operational energy to sustainability
- J Chang
- J Meza
- P Ranganathan
- C Bash
- A Shah
Chang, J., Meza, J., Ranganathan, P., Bash, C., Shah, A., 2010. Green server design:
beyond operational energy to sustainability. Memory 4 (no. 10), 50.
Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index
- Digiconomist
Digiconomist, 21 11 2017. Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index [Online]. Available:
https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption [Accessed 22 November
2017].
Global Energy Statistical Yearbook
- Enerdata
Enerdata, 2017. Global Energy Statistical Yearbook 2017.
ICT energy consumption-trends and challenges
- G Fettweis
- E Zimmermann
Fettweis, G., Zimmermann, E., 2008. ICT energy consumption-trends and challenges. In: Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Wireless Personal Multimedia Communications.
Global PC Shipments on Pace for 6 Percent Decline in 2009: Gartner
- Firstpost
Firstpost, 31 01 2017. Global PC Shipments on Pace for 6 Percent Decline in 2009:
Gartner [Online]. Available: http://www.firstpost.com/business/global-pcshipments-on-pace-for-6-percent-decline-in-2009-gartner-1872971.html
[Accessed 15 June 2017].
Power usage effectiveness (PUE
- M Fontecchio
- M Rouse
Fontecchio, M., Rouse, M., 2017. Power usage effectiveness (PUE) [Online]. Available:
http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/power-usage-effectiveness-PUE [Accessed 17 August 2017].
Green IT: the new industry shockwave
- Gartner
Gartner, 2007. Green IT: the new industry shockwave. In: Paper Presented at the
Symposium/ITXPO Conference, San Diego, CA.
Gartner Says Worldwide PC Market Grew 13 Percent in
- Gartner
Gartner, 16 01 2008. Gartner Says Worldwide PC Market Grew 13 Percent in 2007
[Online]. Available: http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/584210 [Accessed
15 June 2017].
Global e-Sustainability Initiative, "#SMARTer2030-ICT Solutions for 21 st Century Challenges
- Gesi
GeSI, 2015. Global e-Sustainability Initiative, "#SMARTer2030-ICT Solutions for 21
st Century Challenges. Accent.
100% Renewable Is Just the Beginning
Google, 2017. 100% Renewable Is Just the Beginning [Online]. Available: https://
environment.google/projects/announcement-100/ [Accessed 02 February
2017].
CRTC Issues Annual Report on the State of the Canadian Communication System
- Canada Government Of
Government of Canada, 26 09 2013. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), "CRTC Issues Annual Report on the State of the
Canadian Communication System [Online]. Available: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/
eng/com100/2013/r130926.htm [Accessed 05 July 2015].
How much electricity do your gadgets really use? Forbes
- J Griffey
Griffey, J., 2012. The rise of the tablet. Libr. Technol. Rep. 48 (no. 3), 7.
Helman, C., 2013. How much electricity do your gadgets really use? Forbes [Online].
Why Renewable Energy Will Power the Green Data Centers of Tomorrow
- B Kleyman
Kleyman, B., 19 01 2016. Why Renewable Energy Will Power the Green Data Centers
of Tomorrow [Online]. Available: http://datacenterfrontier.com/renewableenergy-will-power-the-green-data-centers-of-tomorrow/
[Accessed
02
PC Market Achieved Double-digit Growth in
- Idg Macworld From
Macworld from IDG, 19 01 2006. PC Market Achieved Double-digit Growth in 2005
[Online]. Available: http://www.macworld.com/article/1049005/pcmarket.html
[Accessed 15 June 2017].
One Bitcoin Transaction Now Uses as Much Energy as Your House in a Week
- C Malmo
Malmo, C., 1 11 2017. One Bitcoin Transaction Now Uses as Much Energy as Your
House in a Week [Online]. Available: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/
article/ywbbpm/bitcoin-mining-electricity-consumption-ethereum-energyclimate-change [Accessed 22 November 2017].
Trends in Global CO 2 Emissions
- J G Olivier
- G Janssens-Maenhout
- M Muntean
- A P Jeroen
Olivier, J.G., Janssens-Maenhout, G., Muntean, M., Jeroen, A.P., 2016. Trends in Global
CO 2 Emissions 2016 Report. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment
Agency, The Hague.
The energy and emergy of the internet
- B Raghavan
- J Ma
Raghavan, B., Ma, J., 2011. The energy and emergy of the internet. In: Proceedings of
the 10th ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks.
Smartphone Subscribers Likely to Double by 2020: Ericsson Forecast
- Thompson Reuters
Thompson Reuters, "Smartphone Subscribers Likely to Double by 2020: Ericsson
Forecast.," 18 11 2014. [Online]. Available: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/11/
18/lm-ericsson-mobilephone-idINKCN0J20P120141118.[Accessed
14
April
Carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption in the U.S. from 1975 and 2016 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)*," 15 11 2017
- Statista
Statista, "Carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption in the U.S. from 1975
and 2016 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)*," 15 11 2017. [Online].
Available:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/183943/us-carbon-dioxideemissions-from-1999/. [Accessed 23 November 2017].
Shipment Forecast of Laptops, Desktop PCs and Tablets Worldwide from
- Statista
Statista, 2017. Shipment Forecast of Laptops, Desktop PCs and Tablets Worldwide
from 2010 to 2020 (In Million Units) [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.
com/statistics/272595/global-shipments-forecast-for-tablets-laptops-anddesktop-pcs/ [Accessed 15 June 2017].
Global smartphone shipments forecast from 2010 to 2021 (in million units
- Statista
Statista, 2017. Global smartphone shipments forecast from 2010 to 2021 (in million
units) [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/263441/globalsmartphone-shipments-forecast/ [Accessed 20 06 2017].
Electricity Consumption by Facebook from
- Statista
Statista, 2017. Electricity Consumption by Facebook from 2011 to 2016 (In Gigawatt
Hours) [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/580087/energyuse-of-facebook/ [Accessed 02 September 2017].
Number of Connected TV Sets Worldwide from
- Statista
Statista, 2017. Number of Connected TV Sets Worldwide from 2010 to 2018 (In
Millions) [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/247160/
forecast-of-the-number-of-connected-tv-sets-worldwide/
[Accessed
04
Data Center Market in China
- Technavio
Technavio, 2016. Data Center Market in China 2016-2020 [Online]. Available:
https://www.technavio.com/report/china-data-center-data-center-market
[Accessed 20 August 2017].
Energy Consumption of Consumer Electronics in u.S. Homes in 2013
- B Urban
- V Shmakova
- B Lim
- R Kurt
Urban, B., Shmakova, V., Lim, B., Kurt, R., 2014. Energy Consumption of Consumer
Electronics in u.S. Homes in 2013. Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy
Systems, Boston.
The New Normal: an Agenda for Responsible Living
- D Wann
Wann, D., 2011. The New Normal: an Agenda for Responsible Living. Macmillan.
SMART 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age, a Report by the Climate Group on Behalf of the Global ESustainability Initiative (GeSI)
- M Webb
Webb, M., 2008. SMART 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age, a Report by the Climate Group on Behalf of the Global ESustainability Initiative (GeSI). Global eSustainability Initiative (GeSI).
Data Center Efficiency Assessment. National Resources Defense Council
- J A P D Whitney
Whitney, J.A.P.D., 2014. Data Center Efficiency Assessment. National Resources
Defense Council.