TMCnews Featured Article

IDC has reportedly evaluated information and communications-based technologies, which can bring about a reduction in carbon emissions. The evaluation was conducted along with industry partners. The results of the first IDC (News - Alert) ICT Sustainability Index will be released at an international press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

The work focuses on critical ICT-based technologies that are mature enough to be implemented within three years, given investment and governmental approval, have significant network and processing bandwidth requirements and are standalone technologies, applicable to specific industries and usage patterns.

 

According to Chris Ingle, associate vice president, Consulting, the budget constraints that large economies face create an investment challenge for technologies that contribute to reducing carbon emissions.

 

The evaluation has revealed that ICT-based technologies, if used intensively, have the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent in the G20 countries, when compared with baseline emissions in 2006. It is possible to make significant reductions across the sectors surveyed by IDC, namely, energy generation and distribution, buildings, transport and industry.

 

It has also been found that integrating renewable energy into energy distribution using smart grids, ICT-enabled smart building systems, ICT-optimized supply chains and variable motor controls in industrial machinery are the main technologies for reducing emissions.

 

Roberta Bigliani, research director at IDC Energy Insights, said that ICT-based technologies have considerable potential to reduce carbon emissions. The advantage of the technologies identified is that they are mature and most often widely implemented. Since carbon emissions reductions made quickly have more impact on global warming, it is recommended that governments and industry immediately evaluate and implement these technologies.

 

According to Vernon Turner, senior vice president, enterprise infrastructure, consumer and telecom research at IDC, robust IT and communications infrastructure is necessary to get the full benefit from these technologies. In addition, the research shows that use of capacity in mobile and fixed infrastructure, integrated with energy efficient IT infrastructure, is required to support the technologies that have been identified.

 

IDC provides market intelligence, advisory services and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. The company helps IT professionals, business executives, as well as the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy.