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Why Green ICT?
Green ICT is the application of technologies and practices that materially reduce resource consumption (energy, water, conflict minerals, etc.) and harmful emissions (CO2e, toxic materials, e-waste, etc.) in Information and Communications Technology lifecycles: manufacture & construction, deployment, use, and disposal. |
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ICT includes:
- equipment: computing, storage, networking, telecommunications, media, biomedical, etc.
- edge gear: PCs, printers, faxes, telephones, mobile devices, televisions, radios, SOHO modems/routers, etc.
- facilities (Core): data centers, equipment rooms, telephone switching centers (COs), engineering cores, research labs, network and television operating centers (NOCs & TOCs), call centers (emergency response, customer service, etc.), media studios, grid control centrs, etc.
- connectivity: local, metropolitan, and wide area networks (LANs, MANs, & WANs), broadcast infrastructures, telephony networks, etc.
- the 'smarts' in Smart infrastructures: Smart Grid, Smart Buildings, etc.
- behavior: of ICT practioners and ICT users.
Green ICT applies to in-house as well as out-sourced ICT equipment, facilities, and services and is critical to comprehensive sustainability in public institutions and private businesses.
Rapid advancements in best practices and appropriate technologies converging with stakeholder expectations/requirements make this the right time to take action!
ICT is becoming an increasingly significant component of the world's energy consumption, carbon emissions, and waste stream. Enterprises are moving significant portions of their activities from molecule-based to electron-based operations. Examples range from well-establish trends, like the growth of e-commerce compared to brick-&-mortar, to industry-specific transitions like the cinema's shift from film distribution to electronic distribution. |
ICT is still a relatively young industry comfortable with rapid innovation and change. There are fewer legacy interests in energy-inefficient practices. Enterprises high on the value chain can more easily reach down and influence the behavior of those earlier on the chain. |
Knowledge, practices, and technologies have reached a critical mass were it is possible for every enterprise to make meaningful commitments and successfully execute them. Even out-sourced ICT and media delivery services can now be counted when assessing an enterprise's carbon footprint and creating an action plan to reduce it. |