SMART 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age

The Climate Group on Behalf of the Global eSustainability Initiative (GeSI). 2008. Smart 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age.

This report was compiled by the ICT industry. GeSI is an industry organization that attempts to promote sustainable development through the adoption of ICT technology. This report begins by noting that there are wide ranging goals to reduce carbon emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020. This can be partially accomplished through the further adoption of ICT technologies. This report attempts to show how ICT can be used to accomplish these goals.

"The ICT sector's own emissions are expected to increase, in a business as usual (BAU) scenario, from 0.53 billion tonnes (Gt) carbon dioxide equivalent...in 2002 to 1.43 [billion tonnes] by 2020. But specific ICT opportunities identified in this report can lead to emission reductions five times the size of the sector's own footprint, up to 7.8 [billion tonnes], or 15% of total BAU emissions by 2020" (6).

"Aside from emissions associated with deforestation, the largest contribution to man-made GHG emissions comes from power generation and fuel used for transportation. It is therefore not surprising that the biggest role ICTs could play is in helping to improve energy efficiency in power transmission and distribution...in buildings and factories that demand power and in the use of transportation to deliver goods" (9).

These ICT based savings on carbon emissions, not to mention efficiency improvements and thus other savings, can be achieved most readily in a few, key areas, as identified by this report: Smart Motor Systems; Smart Logistics; Smart Buildings; Smart Grids (9).

Their report draws on IPCC conclusions about the effects of carbon emissions and climate change.

The report makes a claim that, by 2020, ICT will provide for 5 times the reduction in carbon emissions than its own footprint. This is achieved through the following: standardization of energy consumption and emissions; monitoring energy use; accounting improvements relative to energy consumption and emissions; a rethinking in the way that people work, live and play; as well as a transformation through integrating systems (ch 1 pg 15).

ICT represents about 2% of global carbon emissions. "In 2007, the total footprint of the ICIT sector--including personal computers...and peripherals, telecoms networks and devices and data centres--was 830 [metric tons of carbon dioxide], about 2% of the estimated total emissions from human activity released that year. Even if the efficient technology developments outlined in the rest of the chapter are implemented, this figure looks set to grow at 6% each year until 2020"
(ch 2 pg 17).

The relative footprints of personal computers, data centers and telecoms are explored out to 2020.

ICT can help by increasing the efficiency of a variety of sectors within the global economy, from smart grids to improved efficiencies in industrial production. "ICT can make a major contribution to the global response to climate change. It could deliver up to a 15% reduction of BAU emissions in 2020.k..representing a value of [553 billion Euros] in energy and fuel saved and an additional [91 billion Euros] in carbon saved assuming a cost of carbon of [20 Euros/tonne] for a total of [644 billion Euros] savings" (ch 3 pg 51).

The assumptions out to 2020 are the following: elimination of all CDs and DVDs; 3% reduction in emissions from shopping transport; 25% reduction in global paper use; 30% reduction in business air travel for video conferencing; work related travel in urban areas decreased 80%; non work related travel down by 20%; 15% reduction in residential building emissions; 60% decrease in office emissions applied to 80% of office buildings; 30% increase in industrial motor systems; 15% decrease in electricity consumption; 14% reduction in road transport; 24% reduction in inventory; 5% reduction in carbon emissions from lack of congestion; 12% reduction based on improved driving style; 1% reduction in fuel consumption; 32% reduction in ground fuel consumption; 3% reduction in flight time; 2.5% reduction in rail transport b/c of better scheduling; 4% reduction in shipping transport b/c better use of ships; 3% increase in ship performance; 5% reduction in packaging material; 40% reduction in retail buildings; 25% reduction in retail and warehouse space; 13% reduction in HVAC consumption; 16% reduction in lighting; 30% reduction of T&D losses for developed countries and 38% for developing; 5% reduction in energy consumption; 10% reduction in carbon intensity of generation of developed countries; 5% reduction in carbon intensity of generation of developing countries (Appendix 3 pg 66-70).