Report: Broadband promises to upload low-carbon superhighway
Broadband technologies can deliver significant greenhouse gas savings and help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, according to a major new UN-backed report.
The study, published yesterday by the UN’s Broadband Commission for Digital Development, estimates smart use of information and communication technologies (ICT) could save 15 per cent of global emissions – about 7.8 gigatonnes of CO2 a year – by 2020.
It adds that ICT could close the yawning gap between global carbon-cutting ambition and the action needed to stave off a 2°C temperature rise this century by up to 87 per cent.
The report provides examples of how broadband can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting resource efficiency, and climate adaptation measures while also encouraging economic growth.
For instance, it calculates US companies alone can save more than $12bn (£7.5bn) on energy bills by adopting cloud computing models whereby their data and applications are run using centralised server farms.
In addition, it reveals how a smart building pilot programme undertaken at Microsoft’s corporate headquarters is on track to save the company $1m a year in reduced energy bills through its ability to automatically identify building inefficiencies.
The research concludes with 10 recommendations for policy makers and global leaders including aligning ICT and climate policy, providing incentives to encourage the uptake of low-carbon ICT solutions, and funding scalable pilots to demonstrate how broadband can both enable low-carbon solutions and build a strong business case to attract private investment.
Hans Vestberg, the president and chief executive of Ericsson who also chaired the Broadband Commission Working Group on Climate Change, said the understanding of broadband’s potential environmental benefits was “at a global tipping point”.
“Its role in GDP growth, in enabling the Millennium Development Goals, and offsetting the effects of climate change is just now starting to be understood, because finally the deployment is there and the benefits can be realised,” he added.
“In today’s economic climate, societies need to develop, and with a solutions-driven approach to climate change, we can accelerate a new type of green growth while supporting global sustainable development goals.”
The study, published yesterday by the UN’s Broadband Commission for Digital Development, estimates smart use of information and communication technologies (ICT) could save 15 per cent of global emissions – about 7.8 gigatonnes of CO2 a year – by 2020.
It adds that ICT could close the yawning gap between global carbon-cutting ambition and the action needed to stave off a 2°C temperature rise this century by up to 87 per cent.
The report provides examples of how broadband can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting resource efficiency, and climate adaptation measures while also encouraging economic growth.
For instance, it calculates US companies alone can save more than $12bn (£7.5bn) on energy bills by adopting cloud computing models whereby their data and applications are run using centralised server farms.
In addition, it reveals how a smart building pilot programme undertaken at Microsoft’s corporate headquarters is on track to save the company $1m a year in reduced energy bills through its ability to automatically identify building inefficiencies.
The research concludes with 10 recommendations for policy makers and global leaders including aligning ICT and climate policy, providing incentives to encourage the uptake of low-carbon ICT solutions, and funding scalable pilots to demonstrate how broadband can both enable low-carbon solutions and build a strong business case to attract private investment.
Hans Vestberg, the president and chief executive of Ericsson who also chaired the Broadband Commission Working Group on Climate Change, said the understanding of broadband’s potential environmental benefits was “at a global tipping point”.
“Its role in GDP growth, in enabling the Millennium Development Goals, and offsetting the effects of climate change is just now starting to be understood, because finally the deployment is there and the benefits can be realised,” he added.
“In today’s economic climate, societies need to develop, and with a solutions-driven approach to climate change, we can accelerate a new type of green growth while supporting global sustainable development goals.”
You can return to the main Market News page, or press the Back button on your browser.
