The need for innovative
energy solutions to reduce
carbon emissions has never
been more urgent. And with
last month's Bonn Climate Change
Conference fresh in their minds, world
leaders now face the challenging task
of finding ways to translate ambition
into action.
Information and communication
technologies (ICTs) can help us fasttrack
progress. Innovative ICTs are
powering smarter electricity grids,
greener cities, and more efficient
agricultural practices. If we do it
right, ICTs can enable a 20%
reduction of global carbon emissions
by 20301 and thus significantly
contribute towards the Paris
agreement targets.
ITU'S LEADING ROLE
At the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) – the
United Nations' specialized agency
for ICTs – we are working to provide
innovative technological solutions and
standards to help our government and
private-sector members reduce their
carbon emissions.
To minimize the carbon footprint of
the digital ecosystem, ITU and its
members committed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions per
device by 30% by 2020. To meet this
commitment, ITU has, for example,
developed new international standards
to reduce the greenhouse gas
emissions of power feeding systems
and data centres.
But this progress did not happen overnight.
When I first joined ITU almost 11
years ago, climate change did not
really figure in ITU's work. I led the
publication of ITU's first report on
ICTs and climate change in
December 2007, which highlighted
that while ICTs are a contributor to
greenhouse gas emissions, they
are also an important element in
mitigating and adapting to climate
change, and reducing overall
emissions of greenhouse gases.
Since then, ITU has been helping
Member States understand how to use
ICTs and satellite terminals for disaster
warning, mitigation, response and
recovery.
In addition to its focus on climate
change adaptation and mitigation, ITU
has been leading the work to capitalize
on the potential of ICTs to secure an
energy-efficient future.
EARLY PROGRESS
In many areas, we are seeing progress
on energy efficiency – sometimes
known as 'the fifth fuel' due to its great
potential to save energy.
Many big Internet companies, for
example, are taking steps to power
their activities with renewable sources2.
In addition, emissions avoided through
the use of ICTs are nearly ten times
greater than the emissions generated
by deploying it3.
ICT-enabled solutions such as machine
learning, advanced data analytics
and distribution management
systems have the potential to
manage electricity consumption and
significantly improve the efficiency of
electricity grids. ITU's Standardization
Section has outlined how smart grids
can help to mitigate climate change
by building more controllable and
efficient energy systems.
GREENER CITIES
Cities emit more than 70% of the
world’s total greenhouse gases,
according to UN figures. ICT-enabled
solutions such as sensors, smart
meters, automated control systems,
and the Internet of Things (IoT) offer
an opportunity to reduce cities’ energy
costs and decrease their emissions
by transforming urban infrastructure
with intelligent buildings, smart street
lights, more efficient transportation
systems, and smart energy and water
networks.
ITU is working on a number of
initiatives to build smart, sustainable
cities. In 2016, for example, ITU
and the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE)
launched "United for Smart
Sustainable Cities" (U4SSC) to respond
to the Sustainable Development Goal
11. U4SSC is now supported by 16
United Nations bodies, and 50 cities
have joined the pilot project.
These cities are implementing a set of
key performance indicators developed
by ITU and UNECE that fall under five overarching categories, one of which
is environmental sustainability. Under
this indicator, the cities are measuring
air quality, CO2 emissions, energy use,
and indoor pollution. Recently, ITU
published a case study on Singapore's
efforts to apply smart city innovations,
providing a valuable reference point to
other cities pursuing greater efficiency
and sustainability.
ITU standards have an important
role to play. Standards are essential
for the interoperability of city
systems, and to achieve consistent
levels of performance and quality,
as well as economies of scale. The
ITU Study Group on IoT, smart
cities and communities develops
international standards to ensure
this, and encourages the coordinated
development of IoT technologies.
PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUCCESS
Since 2007, ITU has been committed
to increasing awareness of the
potential of ICTs, promoting
innovation, and establishing standards
to ensure that ICTs maximize energy
efficiency.
New and innovative partnerships
and initiatives, especially between
the ICT sector and the energy sector,
and between public and private
entities, will be essential to enhance
energy efficiency and make the Paris
agreement targets a reality.
Only by collaborating together, pooling
resources, avoiding duplication of
effort, and concentrating on our core
competencies will we harness the
power of ICTs to reduce global CO2
emissions, and thus help to minimize
the negative impact of climate change
for billions of people, leading to a
better and more secure future for all
1. GeSI Smarter 2020: The Role of ICTs in Driving a Sustainable Future. The Global e-Sustainability Initiative. 2012
2. Clicking Clean: Who is Winning the Race to Build a Clean Internet? GreenPeace, 2017.
3. GeSI Smarter 2020: The Role of ICTs in Driving a Sustainable Future. The Global e-Sustainability Initiative. 2012