connected

ICT and sustainable development

Peter Madden, Ilka Weißbrod

April 2008
 1
acknowledgements contents
At Forum for the Future: David Aeron-Thomas,
Tom Berry, James Goodman 1 executive summary 6
Thank you for comments and thoughts from:
Richard Barrington (Sun Microsystems), Ruediger Kuehr
2 introduction 8
(StEP), Paul Miller, Susan Morgan (BT), Sean Nicholson
(Microsoft), Sheridan Nye (ICTandclimatechange), 3 making IT 11
Chris Preist (Hewlett Packard), Lorenzo Radice (Telecom
Italia), Molly Webb (The Climate Group), Anson Wu, 4 using IT 15
Stephen Young (ICTandclimatechange).

5 applying IT 18
Editorial input:
Martin Cottingham, Alex Johnson
working 20

Forum for the Future travelling 23

Forum for the Future - the sustainable development shopping 25

charity - works in partnership with leading organisations
in business and the public sector. Our vision is of
business and communities thriving in a future that is
meeting 27
environmentally sustainable and socially just. We believe
that a sustainable future can be achieved, that it is the 6 conclusions 29
only way business and communities will prosper, but
that we need bold action now to make it happen. We appendix a – policy options for
play our part by inspiring and challenging organisations
government and business 30
with positive visions of a sustainable future; finding
innovative, practical ways to help realise those visions;
training leaders to bring about change; and sharing appendix b – ICT Sustainability 30
success through our communications.
initiatives 32
E: business@forumforthefuture.org.uk
T: +44 (0)20 7324 3639 references 34
www.forumforthefuture.org.uk

Registered office: Overseas House,

19-23 Ironmonger Row, London, EC1V 3QN
Registered charity number: 1040519.
Company limited by guarantee: 2959712

Date of publication: March 2008

Designed by Ideas
Printed on FSC Revive 100% recycled

Sponsored by Sun Microsystems

2
 connected: executive summary

1
executive summary
We are living through some of the biggest changes
the world has ever seen. The digital revolution is
transforming the way we interact - how we live, work
and play. At the same time, growing awareness of the
sustainability challenges facing our planet is forcing
us to ask profound questions about our economy
and lifestyles.

This paper is about how information and communication

technology (ICT) relates to sustainable development. If we
develop and apply ICT badly, it could add to the world’s
problems. It could devour energy and accelerate climate
change, worsen inequality for those who do not have
In this document we look at the social and environmental
impacts of producing ICT and how the negative impacts
can be reduced. We look at the sustainability impacts of
using ICT, particularly its role in energy generation and
climate change. Then we turn our attention to how ICT
could be applied to make a better world.

In weighing up the costs and benefits, it is clear that the

direct impacts of ICT are smaller and easier to control.
The indirect impacts – on how we live our lives – are
much greater and more difficult to manage.

The sustainability challenges facing ICT businesses are

access and increase pollution and resource use by
encouraging ever more frenetic consumerism.
If we apply ICT well, the rewards could be enormous.
It could help to enhance creativity and innovation to
solve our problems, build communities, give more people
access to goods and services and use precious resources
much more efficiently.
complex, just as in other sectors. This should not,
however, prevent the ICT industry from dealing with the
issues and so reaping maximum benefit. Sustainability
leadership is necessary if the benefits are to extend right
across the whole ICT industry.
working

We have the capacity – through our decisions on how we

travelling
produce, buy, use and apply ICT – to secure enormous
social and economic benefits. These might include
energy savings through monitoring and managing energy the impact the impact ICT
from from business
use, creating more efficient transport systems, reducing shopping
using IT making IT

travel needs through electronic commerce, video-

conferencing and other forms of electronic transactions,
producing fewer physical products that consume finite
meeting
resources and increasing interaction between people
and organisations.

3
connected: executive summary
It is up to every one of us to show leadership. Everyone can play their part in this connected world. We would like to
see ICT made, used and applied with consideration of the following questions:
Are you connected?
making IT
Do you…
• Minimise the resources used in manufacturing the
hardware?
• Maximise the social benefits for workers and
communities in the supply chain?
using IT
Do you…
• Radically improve the energy efficiency of the
technologies, reducing energy use overall and
increasing the use of renewable energy?
• Ensure re-use, recycling and responsible disposal
and address rapid obsolescence?.
Above all, we see the application of these new
technologies as an opportunity to address sustainability
challenges creatively. Combining new technologies with
social and institutional innovation could mean a radical
rethink in the way that companies, governments and
individuals deal with their wider responsibilities.
‘Taking the connected theme a step further ‘making it’,
‘using it’ and ‘applying it’ are all inter-connected. Making
ICT more efficient will enable people to do more with
less. And using ICT more efficiently will effectively
reduce the impact of the ‘making it’ stage. This could
be something as simple as replacing a PC after four
years instead of two. For example, doubling the life of a
PC would in effect reduce the impact from making a PC
by 50%. And if that PC is shared with another person the
impact will be halved again, effectively reducing the
impact from making one PC by 75%.
At first glance this is not good news for the PC
manufacturing industry. But as people’s expectations
grow and as the world population increases we will have
to do more with less. We can use ICT to ‘dematerialise’
4
applying IT
Do you…
• Create wealth and satisfy needs with a lower
environmental impact?
• Reduce the need for people and things to move,
and transport things more efficiently?
• Give consumers wider access to cheaper, more
sustainable products and services?
• Enable people to connect, interact and strengthen
their communities?
• Innovate to solve the problems of how we live
together sustainably - here and across the world?
the economy. This would mean moving away from a
business model that is based on products and things
and towards business models based on services.
For example, instead of buying a PC we rent the use of
one – that way the company has a steady stream of
income without the ‘need’ to sell you a new PC every two
years. Or instead of buying physical products or making
journeys we replace them with digital alternatives. People
don’t want a computer for itself – they want what it can
do and what it can enable them to do.
ICT can help to reduce the environmental footprint of
what we do. It can facilitate the networks, partnerships
and actions we need to work things out in a complex and
connected world. The digital revolution could spread
benefits to all sectors of society and all corners of the
planet, bringing benefits to all regardless of location, age,
disability or income.
After reading this report, take the time to think about the
wider opportunities and how you can use ICT to make the
world a better place. We have left some empty spaces in
our picture. You can help fill them in.

2
introduction
The goal of creating a sustainable world is a real
and pressing one. We all rely for our very survival
on a host of often unnoticed ‘eco-system services’
- from a stable climate to assimilation of waste, from
providing food to controlling disease and pests.
The overwhelming scientific evidence is that most
ecosystem services are currently being degraded or
used unsustainably.
“Human activity is putting such strain on the natural
functions of the Earth”, says the UN’s Environment
Programme, “that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems
to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for
granted. Many of these eco-system services are at or
beyond limits.”1
It’s not just rainforests and tigers that are under threat.
Climatic systems, water resources, agriculture and
fisheries are all being degraded. Our current path of
development is bringing us up against environmental
limits and this could lead to catastrophe.
We’re also depleting our natural systems at the very time
when our needs are growing. The planet is likely to be
home to nine billion people by 2050, with just under a
billion extra people in the next 10 years alone. And just
as we want to continue to drive our cars and buy new
shoes, so people in developing countries want that too.
We face the twin challenges of reducing inequality
between rich and poor nations and having fewer
resources to do it with.
The information and communication technology (ICT)
industry needs to be more aware of the risks and
connected: introduction
opportunities related to key sustainability issues. It is
certainly in the interest of ICT companies to identify the
longer-term environmental and societal benefits of
sustainable business practice. If this industry wants to
survive in a rapidly changing world, it will need to be able
to adapt with imagination and vigour.
We examined a variety of ICT sustainability initiatives and
research. It quickly became apparent that those
developing, using and applying ICT would welcome some
help in understanding the wider context of their concerns
and translating this knowledge into the most effective
action. This is the purpose of this short paper. Hopefully,
by better understanding the relationship between ICT and
the sustainability debate, you can use new technology in
ways that bring real benefits.
the scope of the ICT sector
ICT is created by manufacturing and service industries
whose products capture, transmit or display data and
information electronically. These can be broken down into
ICT goods and services, electronic business/commerce,
IT security, digital content and distribution of ICT to
2
organisations and individuals .
In 2006 the European ICT sector accounted for 5.5%
of total GDP and employed more than six million people.
The sector is expanding, with over 3.5% growth in 2006.
Communications technologies are exploding, too.
Worldwide the number of phone subscribers has grown
at nearly 20% a year over the past five years to around
two billion (about 30% of the global population). Over
3
600 million new phones were sold in 2005 .
5
connected: introduction

beyond the direct impacts
At present a great deal of the research focuses on the
impacts and opportunities created by the existence of
ICT and the industry’s processes and procedures. These
include the design, manufacture, operation and disposal
of ICT. However, there is a great deal more to ICT than
direct impacts alone. Some of the most important impacts
come from how these technologies are applied.
Some have recognised this and have begun to address
sustainability in ICT beyond the direct impacts. Forum for
the Future’s own work on Digital Futures and Digital
Europe was an early example of this. More recently, both
the combined WWF and European Telecommunications
Network Operators’ Association (ETNO) initiative and the
4
Saving The Climate @ The Speed Of Light campaign
have adopted Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) language.
This divides ICT products and services into three groups:
direct, indirect and systemic. In our paper, we have called
these ‘making it’, ‘using it’, and ‘applying it’. Linked to
these effects are the scale of impacts, the ease of
measurement and their ability to influence.

information ability
impact available to influence
Direct effects
small easy to measure easy to influence
‘making IT’

requires
significant hard to measure collaboration
Indirect effects with customers
‘using IT’
requires
very big mainly theories collaboration
Systemic effects with customers
‘applying IT’ and government

Figure 1: Adapted from Saving The Climate @ The Speed Of Light

6
 connected: introduction

The ICT sustainability impact ratio has even been

suggested to be 20:80, where 20% of impacts are found
in ICT provision and 80% in use and application. The
following illustration shows the relationship between ICT
businesses, the impact of ICT production and use and
the impact of wider application of ICT technologies:

working

travelling

the impact the impact ICT

from from business
using IT making IT
shopping

meeting

Figure 2. ICT impacts and sustainability opportunities

By choosing a ‘making it’, ‘using it’ and ‘applying it’

approach, we hope to make it easier to grapple with the
issues and opportunities and so stimulate long-term
thinking across the sector. After all, no ICT business can
operate independently of the wider applications of ICT
technology or the global sustainability context.

7
connected: making IT

3
making IT
You might just see your computer as a lump of plastic
and metal sitting on your desk. We rarely think about
the large volumes of earth and rock moved in
manufacturing, the associated disruption or damage
to biodiversity, and the huge amounts of energy
required in the extraction and refinement process.

What about the non-renewable nature of some materials

and their relatively short supply? Or the toxic chemicals
that are sometimes used to extract the metals from the
ores and the toxic nature of some of the materials mined?
What about the associated groundwater and air pollution,
and soil contamination?
manufacturing of a single desktop computer and 17-inch
cathode ray tube monitor requires at least 240 kilos of
fossil fuels, 22 kilos of chemicals and 1,500 kilos of water.
Other research suggests that to source the gold in a
single circuit board around 220 pounds of mine waste is
generated .
6

Then, there is the manufacturing. Computer components

A 2004 United Nations University study has found that
around 1.83 tonnes of raw materials are required to
manufacture the average desktop PC and monitor, about
5
equal to the weight of a mid-size car. Furthermore, the
– screens, keyboards, batteries, circuit boards and so on
– are typically manufactured separately, often in different
locations and by different companies, before being
assembled. Studies show that the energy used to
manufacture components, in particular, is one of the
most critical impacts. The amount of water used can
also be important, depending on the location. The
average computer chip requires 45.46 litres of water,
7
used primarily for washing .

chemicals in your computer51

• Selenium in circuit boards as power supply rectifier
• Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables and circuit boards

• Antimony trioxide as flame retardant

• Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors
• Chromium in steel as corrosion protection
• Cobalt in steel for structure and magnetivity
• Mercury in switches and housing.

8

Some materials are potentially hazardous during
manufacture. Harmful materials are used in ICT
components, including toxic metals in batteries such as
lithium and cadmium; lead in cathode ray tubes; and
8
flame retardants on appliance shells . Inadequate waste
treatment facilities can lead to leaks and subsequent
environmental damage.
Global manufacturing and out-sourcing bring ICT
companies some big advantages. The ability to seek out
lower-cost suppliers increases competition and choice,
drives down prices and can help deliver continuity of
supply and new markets.
There are, however, additional risks and complexities
involved. Developing countries are a long way away, with
different standards and different commercial and cultural
realities. Quality control, traceability and accountability
can be difficult to maintain in extended supply chains.
There may be undisclosed or unmonitored sub-
contracting in country. There have been a number of high-
connected: making IT
profile exposés and campaigns about working conditions
in the electronics industry – from Coltan in the Congo,
through working conditions in Mexican factories, to e-
waste in India.
When a piece of equipment reaches the end of its (often
very short) life, it has to be disposed of. The UK is
estimated to produce 1.2 million tonnes of e-waste each
9
year , which until now has mostly ended up in landfill
sites. This is despite the fact that the issue has been a
major driver of legislative activity around the world. If
waste is not recycled or disposed of properly, the
leaching of metals and chemicals can lead to water and
air pollution and the contamination of land.
Not all this waste is disposed of responsibly. Some 20 to
10
50 million tonnes of e-waste (including lead, cadmium,
mercury and other hazardous substances) are generated
worldwide every year as a result of the growing demand
for computers, mobile phones, TVs, radios and other
consumer electronics.
9
connected: making IT

Old kit can offer significant potential for providing more And even the working electronic equipment transported to
affordable access in developing countries. But poorer poorer nations is not all that great. The imported older kit,
nations - with minimal waste management and recycling for example CRT screens, is less energy efficient than the
infrastructure and looser environmental regulation - new kit we buy in the Western world. The energy intensive
typically have very limited capacity for dealing with running of imported ICT goods exacerbates the already
electronic goods when they reach the end of their lives. existing energy poverty.
Old, broken electronic equipment is sometimes
transported illegally from the US and Europe – against the
rules of the international Basel Convention - to developing
countries in Asia and Africa (see www.ban.org). In 2006 as
many as two-thirds of all Nigeria’s PCs imported for re-
11.
use turned out to be unfit for purpose

design for environment51

‘Design for Environment’ is design that seeks to eliminate potential negative environmental impacts before a
product is made. Clearly, it is better to design out waste and problems in the first place, rather than have to
deal with them afterwards. This concept involves reducing the quantity and number of materials used in a
product or service; the resources used in manufacture, operation and disposal; the hazardous materials that
are used; and the quantity of non-recyclable materials used. It also involves modular design that allows for
upgrades, easy refurbishment or parts replacement, and simpler dismantling for re-cycling or disposal.
Computers can be refurbished and re-used (usually the best option environmentally), taken apart and
recycled, or disposed of (usually the worst option environmentally).

10
 connected: making IT

opportunities re-use
Extending a machine’s operational life through re-use
holds a much greater potential for energy saving than
improving production and disposal
recycling. Upgrading PC memory or storage space, or
There are opportunities to radically improve how ICT is
donating an old computer so that it may continue to be
produced and disposed of. The industry can reduce the
used, can produce potential energy savings of between
energy intensity of production and/or increase its 13
five and 20 times those gained by recycling .
efficiency. It can use more refurbished parts or recycled
material and use fewer potentially hazardous materials.
working conditions
Another important sustainability issue concerns how the
One obvious step is to increase the amount of recycled
workforce manufacturing ICT products are treated. In
materials used. Copper, for example, is a major source
2004, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, a
material for ICT products. In 2003 the Wuppertal Institute
development organisation, issued a withering report,
calculated that 500 kilos of raw materials are needed to
alleging “dire working conditions” by overseas contractors
produce one kilo of primary (super refined) copper. This
serving the computer industry. Many ICT companies are
figure is composed of the materials used in manufacture,
now paying increasing attention to working conditions in
the energy consumed, the transport requirements, even
their supply chains. There are two main cross-industry
the cardboard boxes and other packaging of the
groups that try to improve standards. The Global
components. Producing a kilo of secondary (i.e. less
Electronics Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) is mainly made
refined) copper requires only 9.7 kilos of materials – under
12 up of European companies, while the Electronics Industry
2% of what is used to make primary copper .
Code of Conduct (EICC) is mainly supported by US-
based businesses. Sustainability leaders are working to
reducing demand
drive adoption of EICC throughout their extended supply
Reducing the relative impact of IT (e.g. reducing the
chains: covering labour rights, environmental health and
impact from making one PC by 20%) is important. But,
safety, working conditions and business ethics.
given the projected growth in demand, it is as important
to reduce demand for IT hardware and software. For
example, doubling the life of a PC would in effect reduce
the impact from making a PC by 50%. And if that PC
was shared with one other person the impact would be
halved again, effectively reducing the impact from making
one PC by 75%.

11
connected: using IT

4
using IT
By 2010 the consumer electronics sector will be the
biggest single user of domestic electricity in the UK.
It is projected that ICT equipment and consumer
electronics together will make up 45 per cent of all
appliance-related electricity use in the UK home .

According to the World Summit for an Information

14

Society, electricity demand from the ICT sector for

industrialised countries is between 5 and 10 per cent of
total electricity demand. An important amount of the
electricity used by ICT is consumed when equipment is
switched off or is not performing its main function. Today,
these standby losses are of the order of 50% of the
production and greenhouse gas emissions. Using the
personal computer as an example, the table below

the use phase in relation to production and disposal.

Energy used

Waste
Production

27
Greenhouse gases 29
22
Use

73
68
65
Disposal
phase (%) phase (%) phase(%)
not assessed
3
13

The constant evolution of ICT technology shortens

product lifetimes. New models of computer, phones and
17

illustrates the relevance of the sustainability impacts of

server applications are released, increasing aspiration and

electricity used by ICT — representing a huge opportunity
consumption. ICT goods are, of course, not the only
for improvement.
sector where this happens: the same can be observed
with other consumer goods such as clothes and furniture.
Data centres and servers are some of the hungriest
energy users. The charity Global Action Plan points out 18
The average lifetime of a PC is three years. On average
that growth in data storage has overtaken the growth in
users replace their mobile phones, which in theory have
the airline industry. In 2006 48% more data storage
an average life span of about ten years, every 18 months.
capacity was sold in the UK than in 2005, while the
15 In 2004 the European Commission estimated that the EU
number of plane passengers grew by only 3% . Power
produces over eight million tonnes of Waste Electrical and
consumption by servers doubled between 2000 and 19
16 Electronic Equipment (WEEE) per year. And Gartner
2005 and server farms concentrate the use of large
estimate 170 million computers were thrown away in
amounts of energy.
2006 alone.
Looking at the whole life cycle of ICT, the ‘use phase’ is
the most significant in terms of energy use, waste

12
 connected: using IT

22
opportunities the United Nations University in Tokyo suggested the
redesign of network cards to allow PCs to go to sleep and
power up again only in the event of any important
efficiency and behaviour change
network traffic. They estimated that Australia alone could
There’s no two ways about it - our technologies are going
save three million tonnes of CO2 by using presence-
to have to get more efficient. In order to reduce the
detecting services that turn off devices that are ‘on’ but
impact of climate change, the UK must reduce its 23
not being used.
emissions substantially. The Confederation of British
Industry estimates that by 2030, nearly 60% of the
using renewable electricity
required carbon emissions savings must come from more
How do you reduce the impact of your equipment? You
efficient energy use at home, in business and in transport.
could get your battery recharged with renewable
By 2030 electrical products will need to be at least 30 per
20 electricity. Oxfam now sells the pocket size solar
cent more efficient than they are today.
recharger Freeloader. Once charged, Freeloader’s internal
battery can power an iPod for 18 hours and a mobile
Some improvements can come from simple behaviour
phone for over 40 hours. To hook up with the ultimate
changes. The National Energy Foundation and Infosource
power source wherever you are, you might want to invest
estimate that over Christmas 2006, UK businesses could
21 in an Eclipse Solar Gear hybrid notebook case. The solar-
have saved £8.6m. More than six million PCs were left
panel-encrusted briefcase, which wouldn’t look out of
on over Christmas, consuming nearly 40 million KWh of
place in a Bond film, charges an auxiliary battery that can
electricity. Together with the printers and other hardware
also power devices such as iPods, mobile phones and
left on, this equates to the same amount of electricity
GPS units. Its integrated cooling system also keeps your
required to microwave 268 million mince pies. This poor
notebook chilled and makes the power last longer.
office management is responsible for approximately
19,000 tonnes of CO2.
In September 2007 Hewlett Packard launched the
Sustainable Innovation Zone. Employees are encouraged
savings on standby
to submit their ideas and suggestions on how ICT
Other changes need some simple technological
services can reduce CO2 emissions. In parallel with the
adjustments. Many commercially used ICT systems are
Sustainable Innovation Zone, the first billion tons of CO2
prevented from entering their standby mode by local area
reductions using ICT solutions are being mapped by
network (LAN) traffic, meaning that many PCs and 24
WWF.
systems run at full power constantly. Sometimes, this is
necessary for maintenance work – but not always. In 2004

13
connected: using IT

are you being served?

As sexy as a new machine might seem, don’t forget that there are already 1.5 billion PCs in this world - many
already in landfill, or dumped in Africa as e-waste. Do you really need to buy another one, when you could
simply extend your computer’s life span?
The easiest way to do this is to upgrade the processor, memory or hard disk. The more adventurous can
transform an old computer into a ‘dumb terminal’ with a fast net connection to a powerful server that stores
all the data. Apart from the environmental benefits, it’s the ultimate in mobile working - you can access all
your stuff from anywhere. A similar transition has already taken place in the telecommunication sector: most
people do not own an answer phone and instead use a voicemail service offered by their network providers.
Sun Microsystems, for example, offers access to this dematerialised world of computing with its ‘thin client’
product range. A centralised server communicates with a low-energy terminal on your desk, and the system
boasts much lower power consumption than conventional PCs.
To take one example, the Strategic Health Authority for London replaced 400 of its 100-watt PCs with Sun
Microsystems ‘Sun Ray’ ultra thin client, which only use 4 Watts each. These devices enable all staff to
access applications and programmes. Not only does the organisation use less energy but other
improvements also include better air quality and less noise pollution in the office.

data centre power and cooling
How do we make data centres less power hungry?
A simple solution, such as switching the type of power
supply, can have significant impacts on energy
consumption during operation. Data-hosting company
Ultraspeed, for example, says it has reduced its energy
use by 40% through the implementation of two big
changes to equipment operation. Firstly, the company
switched from alternative current (AC) power to direct
current (DC) power, which cut energy use by 30%. The
second change was the introduction of diskless servers.
Ultraspeed took the hard drive out of each server and
25
now hosts the data in another location.
Meanwhile the EvoSwitch data centre, based in the
Netherlands, operates on a low-energy cooling concept
that uses cold air from the outside. This reduces energy
26
consumption by over 20%.
adopting universal standards
Further potential savings could come from the
development of open standards. There are a multitude of
formats and standards in the ICT industry. This can make
consumers’ lives difficult -ever tried to play music files
bought from iTunes on your mobile phone? The variety of
standards also encourages excessive consumption of ICT
goods. Equally, continuous updates of software packages
that can’t operate on older PCs is unsustainable.
Universally adopted standards would decrease
consumption and help to make the use of ICT
applications easier for users.

14

5
applying IT
Of course we need to sort out the direct impacts
arising from manufacture, use and disposal. But
some of the biggest wins can arise from applying
these technologies to other sectors and issues. In
this section, we look at more general opportunities
arising from applying ICT. In the four following
sections, we look at how ICT can affect how we
work, travel, shop and meet.
The internet enables easier access to information. Today
many more people and households have access to ICT
equipment than in the past. As recently as the early
27
nineties, this was still a new phenomenon. In 2007,
however, the number of PCs in use worldwide passed
28
the one billion mark.
Our ever-clearer understanding of trends and scientific
data is helping to increase awareness of sustainability
issues and encourage action. Many of the profound
changes that threaten our long-term survival, such as
climate change and loss of biodiversity, are brought to our
attention because of sophisticated communications
networks. ICT can play a vital role in collecting such data,
and helping us manage the planet’s resources more
efficiently.
general opportunities
improving environmental efficiency
By enabling innovation, ICT products and systems can
reduce other sectors’ reliance on goods and services.
connected: applying IT
For example, in the music industry the more adventurous
labels and distribution channels now use no materials
whatsoever. Instead there is ‘virtualisation’ – replacing a
material product with a virtual alternative. MP3 players are
now much more commonplace than portable CD players.
This is a good thing. Downloading 56 minutes of music
uses half the resources of buying a CD online and is
approximately 2.5 times as efficient as shopping for a CD
on the high street.
29
ICTs can also enable people to use less energy.
Automated heat management systems in buildings are an
30
example of this. The ICT-supported management of
facilities combined with the use of virtual services is likely
31
to limit the total energy demand in 2020 significantly.
user-generated content
“Also known as consumer-generated media, user-
generated content refers to various kinds of media
content, publicly available, that are produced by end-
users.” This definition is taken from Wikipedia, a free
online encyclopaedia and one of the most well known
examples of user-generated content. Such online
applications could help to solve many of our most
pressing environmental problems. Communities of interest
can coalesce around tackling particular problems.
Research has shown that individuals will act to tackle
issues like climate change, but they want to know that
32
others are acting, too. The net makes such collective
action on a mass scale much easier. End-users sharing
knowledge is a democratic process, although user-
generated content is contingent on access to the web.
15
connected: applying IT
ubiquitous computing
What does the future hold? In 20 years computers will
certainly be much more powerful than they are today –
perhaps by as much as a thousand times. We can also
expect rapid developments in a range of different areas of
technology, from nano-materials with new properties and
new, more efficient ways of producing and storing energy,
to robotics, artificial intelligence, medicine and genetics.
Research and development activity is already focusing
heavily on these areas. What is much less certain is how
technological developments will be translated into
applications and products, and how people will want to
use them.
We will also see more pervasive computing. Countless
tiny computers with significant processing capacity will
be linked by mega-bandwidth wireless networks, ushering
in the era of the ‘always on’ internet. In some ways, this
is already starting to happen. Your electronic travel card
can talk to the ticket barrier on the bus and your mobile
phone can search the internet to help guide you to a
local restaurant.
radio frequency identifiaction tags (RFID)
An RFID tag is an object that can be applied to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the
purpose of identification using radiowaves. Some tags can be read from several metres away and beyond
the line of sight of the reader.
Today a significant thrust in RFID use is in supply-chain management, improving the efficiency of inventory
tracking and management.
16
It is estimated that by 2010 there will be 10,000 telemetric
devices (RFID chips – see box) for every man, woman and
child on the planet. They will be distributed and
embedded in everything - our clothes, our make-up, our
pets, our groceries, our carpets, and even under our skin.
Companies and governments will gain instant, detailed
feedback on many aspects of our lives. There are big
questions as to what pervasive computing will mean for
personal privacy.
In all of this, we will have to be careful not to worsen the
‘digital divide’. This term refers to variations in ICT access
between people as a result of differences in age, gender,
social status or where they live. It is unclear if the digital
divide is simply a reinforcement of already existing
patterns of social exclusion. On a global scale, it’s worth
noting that the majority of current and future growth in the
use of the internet will be from the Brazilian, Russian,
33
Indian and Chinese populations.

working
Information technologies can help us to work smarter.
This should mean less wasted time and fewer wasted
resources. ICT can help cut energy and resource use,
improve environmental productivity and lead to more
efficient ways of doing business.
There is an enormous shift taking place in the economy,
from industrial production to service-based, knowledge-
intensive industries. As demand for products and services
has become unpredictable and as markets have
diversified to become global, the system of mass
production has become too rigid and costly to sustain.
Large companies have adopted new business models,
often subcontracting to small and medium-sized
businesses whose flexibility allows productivity gains for
the large corporations as well as for the economy as a
whole. These ‘network organisations’ rely on a large
number of connections between smaller businesses,
where the links can easily be broken and re-made in a
short period of time.
connected: working
opportunities
job creation and economic growth
There is a high growth rate for jobs in the ICT sector. ICT
plays an increasingly significant role in the European
34
economy, growing by over 3.5 per cent in 2006 alone.
However, due to the fast-changing nature of ICT
technologies, the jobs created tend to favour highly
skilled staff.
new high-tech business systems
ICT can be used at all levels, from the optimisation of
supply chains to the monitoring of office systems such
as air conditioning. Over 50% of the UK’s CO2 emissions
come from the built environment. There is considerable
potential to save materials through more intelligent
process control. Industry should promote a shift not only
from products to services but also to services that are
increasingly environmentally sound.
In agriculture, for example, ICT is being used to help to
minimise waste in a water-intensive industry. The
Australian info-tech firm National ICT Australia is trialling a
wireless sensor network to help farmers to optimise
irrigation. Each sensor monitors soil moisture, leaf
35
temperature and evaporation. South Denmark University
runs a number of research projects looking at how
embedding technology in industrial greenhouses might
lead to reduced water, energy and chemicals being used
to grow food.
17
connected: working
new business models
ICT can also spawn new business models. Abel & Cole, a
home-delivery service for organic food based mainly on
online ordering, is now one of the largest organic ‘box’
providers in the UK. None of its goods is transported by
air, and the company sources most of its goods in the UK.
The success hasn’t gone unnoticed: in 2007, the
company got a major private equity injection, which
will see a further expansion of the business.
ICT could usher in a whole new way of exchanging goods
and services. We have already seen the potential of this
with the phenomenal success of eBay. In future we could
see more and more people sharing products directly,
using ICT to connect up. Examples of this are peer-to-
peer music file sharing and freecycle (see our idea for this
area at www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/lowcarbonliving
2022/products/locality). There are sustainability benefits in
such initiatives: joining people up, democratising trade,
more opportunities to recycle and reuse. There may be
disadvantages, too, such as more transportation of
goods, increased packaging and in some cases the
encouragement of more consumerism.
18
energy efficiency
ICT has a high potential impact on the rational use of
heating energy. Heating accounts for roughly 30 per cent
of total energy consumption, and the most effective
conservation measures using physical materials tend only
to be applied to the relatively small number of buildings
that are renovated or newly built each year. Some ‘soft
measures’ using ICT (such as intelligent heating systems)
have the advantage of being applicable in all buildings,
and could therefore have a significant effect. The use of
ICT applications for heat management should be a priority
for future research and development.
tele-working
Working differently can also deliver productivity and
environmental gains. Commuting, for example, accounts
for around a fifth of all miles travelled. The UK lags behind
its European competitors in allowing tele-working and
flexitime and benefiting from the energy savings that they
can create. In Germany, Sweden and Denmark, 40 per
cent of employers have staff involved in tele-working,
compared with 20 per cent in the UK. Home workers only
36
made up 11 per cent of the total UK workforce in 2005.
 connected: working

The social benefits of tele-working include greater
flexibility of working hours and staff being able to spend
more time with their families. The negatives can include a
reduction of social interaction with colleagues; worse pay
and working conditions; and a lack of codes of practice
for tele-working. Wider society also has to consider the
inexorable creep of business ‘reachability’ that blurs the
lines between work time and private life. Sustainability is
about well-being in a holistic sense, and for all the
benefits in business output, productivity and efficiency
that ICT delivers there are questions – regarding privacy,
stress, and so on - to be asked about a 24/7 instant
access culture.
Tele-working will have direct environmental benefits only if
it is accompanied by a reduction in office space and no
increase in energy use in the home and private travel.
Weekly and monthly public transport tickets could help
support home workers. At present employee discounts
tend to cover longer periods of time and to favour staff
travelling five times per week. An alternative could be
discounted public transport tickets valid for any 10
37
journeys within a 30-day period.

the benefits of flexible working

38
BT has reported productivity improvements of 20% where it has introduced ‘smart working practices’.

Bradford Council has been involved in a pilot scheme to determine the benefits of tele-working. The tele-
workers achieved an improvement in productivity of between 11 and 38% (measured as claims processed
per hour), with accuracy levels remaining similar. There was also an 80% reduction in absenteeism rates, and
39
workers reported improved job satisfaction and quality of life.

Sun Microsystems has audited its ‘openwork programme’ this year. On average each employee benefits
from a 2-hour reduction in commute per week. Over one year, this reduction results in 2 tonnes of carbon
savings (including rebound effects) and a personal financial saving of £1,000 in fuel and non-depreciation
servicing costs.

Swedish company Telia has reduced its CO2 emissions by 50% in three years by reducing office space,
40
working more flexibly and eliminating all but essential business travel.

UK workers waste up to 689,000 hours a month waiting in airports. The resulting economic costs are
41
estimated to exceed £450 million per year. Universal wireless access across all public transport would help
to increase productivity.

Codes of practice for home working would help business and individuals to maximise the benefits of
tele-work. At present Denmark and Ireland are the only countries in Europe with such codes.

19
connected: travelling
travelling
Will virtual traffic replace real traffic? ICT could help
create more efficient logistics and distribution
systems. It could also give disadvantaged consumers
easier access to goods and services. On the other
hand, it might mean more delivery movements, more
extended supply chains and longer haulage distances.
By 2020 EU truck traffic is expected to increase by
another 40%. Businesses and government are therefore
increasingly looking into high-tech solutions for supply-
42
chain logistics and warehouse technologies. More
generally, e-commerce and travel might not necessarily
result in lower consumer emissions. For example,
although customer journeys to the shops may be
reduced, the goods still have to be delivered to the
customer. What might previously have been one shopping
trip could be turned into five separate deliveries.
20
opportunities
being there
ICT can reduce the need to travel in the first place (this
is partly covered in the tele-working section, above).
As electronic communications improve, people will
increasingly be able to experience ‘being there’ without
having to move.
controlling traffic
Telematics can link global positioning satellites (GPS) to
traffic-flow systems. This is already done in the
Netherlands and has a significant impact on emissions
caused by congestion. During the 2008 Olympics in
Beijing telematics will be used; security cameras and taxis
will be networked to reduce congestion.
In the U.S., the commercial telematics market is expected
to expand from 2.5 million units in 2007 to 5.8 million
units by 2009. Fleet benefits from telematics include
increased productivity, dispatching efficiency, improved
customer service, and vehicle, driver, and cargo safety.
Wal-Mart currently uses RFID to track trucks, forklifts, and
other mobile devices in the U.S. And United Parcel
Service is testing a mix of active and passive RFID to
43
monitor vehicle movement and location.
more efficient freight
While trucks provide more than three-quarters of inland
transport, deliveries by train have been estimated to be
roughly three times as energy efficient as road haulage.
Advanced delivery systems for long distances (i.e. over
600 kilometres) cut fuel use and greenhouse gas
44
emissions by 65%, compared to truck transport.
 connected: travelling

Transport providers should be encouraged to share their
capacity much more. Lorries too often travel empty in one
direction, and distribution depots could be used more
efficiently. One example of how improvements can be
made is the scheme that the British Airports Authority ran
at Heathrow to consolidate all deliveries. At the start of
the project, some 400 vehicles were delivering goods to
retailers each day, causing massive congestion and
pollution. Now deliveries are done in shared vehicles
which are loaded to 90 per cent of capacity and there has
been a significant reduction in the number of vehicle
movements as a result.
A new vision for public transport
More research and resources should be committed to
examining and using intelligent transport systems to
support seamless, multi-modal public transport. There is
also a need to widen access to ICT-supported working
during train, bus, boat and plane travel and to make
public transport more attractive through the use of
electronic information systems (such as displays at bus
stops that communicate projected arrival times). ICT’s
efficiency improvements in transport must be combined
with demand-side management in order to ensure an
overall reduction of environmental impact.

next-generation video conferencing

Virtual meetings can save on travel time and the environmental costs of passenger transport. Until recently,
video conferencing facilities were unreliable and often produced poor sound and visual quality.

High-definition video conferencing systems that run over standardized IP networks offer better results. This
all-new video conferencing has already proven its increased user-friendliness.

For example, Dreamworks in the US and Bristol-based Aardman Animations used a high-definition system to
work on the Wallace and Gromit films. They wanted something that would be good enough to let creative
people work together to produce a Hollywood movie, without continually getting on planes.

Procter & Gamble US found that its new 17 high-definition end points are much more used than the
conventional video conferencing system end points.

Of course, the high-resolution facilities still require the installation of end points, hence the acquisition of a
new piece of ICT kit. However, if these new end points are used regularly and replace highly carbon-intensive
flights – what’s not to love?

21
connected: shopping
shopping
The chances are that you’ve bought something on-line
recently – or at least checked out prices. The internet
is certain to play a major role in shaping the future of
shopping in the UK. In 2006 online retail spending in
the UK grew by 33.4 per cent to a record £10.9 billion,
almost 13 times faster than the retail sector overall. In
an age of growing congestion, and of families in which
both partners work long hours, internet shopping is
sure to have a growing role.
ICT has changed the way that businesses interact with
their markets and consumers. ICT has also empowered
consumers and enabled greater corporate accountability,
changing the balance of power between companies and
consumers. The most obvious consumer benefit is the
potential to find cheaper products easily by comparing
prices at the click of a mouse. ICT has also supported
the emergence of green consumerism – it is easier
online to track down ethical products that are not
widely available.
22
opportunities
enriching the retail experience
As yet online retail is in its infancy. The range of
possibilities for a richer consumer experience is only
starting to emerge. We can anticipate innovations such
as webcams showing the flock of sheep your lamb
came from: entering your postcode for local sourcing
or very personalised ordering (“sell me the ingredients
for a gourmet dinner with pork chops”).
Online shopping provides an opportunity to reduce the
environmental impact of retail, as well as increasing
choice, information and targeting. But consumers could
also use the internet to do things themselves, by trading
peer-to-peer or sourcing directly from suppliers or
independent providers. Niche markets could explode,
45
as prophesied in Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail.
 connected: shopping

harnessing consumer consciousness
Online product information is potentially empowering too
because it allows more informed purchasing decisions.
It can also improve corporate accountability; company
information is more widely accessible than ever before
over the internet. Stakeholders can easily look into a
company’s environmental and social records and
pressurise businesses via online movements.
In 2005, for example, influential blogger Jeff Jarvis
criticised Dell’s customer service. The online community
picked this up, and many individuals shared their own
stories of negative experiences until the mainstream
media became aware of these concerns and started to
reflect them. Dell responded with the Dell2Dell blog to
give consumers a chance to feed back their experiences.
This initiative was very successful and has been praised
by Jarvis himself.

retail futures
Many people already shop online and have products delivered to their door. This could grow and even
become fully automated, as technology allows retailers to know what people want and when they want it.

This has a number of benefits from a sustainability perspective. As with supply chains, mass customer
delivery can boost storage and transport efficiency. Advanced ordering means less likelihood of waste in
the supply chain. It also reduces the need for the excess packaging used to sell many products from
supermarket shelves.

However, these benefits need to be carefully balanced with some potential disadvantages. There are a
significant number of people who either don’t have access to the internet, or can’t or don’t want to use it. As
technology develops, this digital divide could become more stark. The social value of physically going to the
shops is part of community life for which some people have no substitute. If internet-based automation leads
to fewer physical shops - as it may - and if retail sector margins are squeezed as a result, the environment
46
may benefit but food deserts could develop while community hubs disappear.

Retailers need to ensure that all groups, including disadvantaged groups in society, have access to their
services. They will also need to be mindful of the social role that their physical spaces currently play.

23
connected: meeting

meeting
Can ICT help to build a more inclusive society? Despite
fears that the e-revolution would contribute to the
erosion of social relationships and undermine local
communities, there are plenty of examples of the
opposite happening. Many people have established
online relationships in addition to, rather than instead
of, existing social networks. Sometimes this occurs via
new forms of virtual community, more often through
strengthening existing patterns of social interaction.
Online communities can influence how people work and
socialise. Examples of such communities include
MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Business reputations can be affected by social networks
because there is easy communication between
consumers in instances where businesses used to be
able to feed information to the consumer without
contradiction. Another challenge these networks have
created is that businesses may struggle with employees
using social networking sites during working hours.
Will this increase diversity or is everyone becoming the
same? Large-scale use of ICT enables people in different
locations to communicate on a regular basis. This has
resulted in the creation of a diverse online community.
But online communities tend to communicate in only one
language: English. This means that some of the potential
for cultural exchange and learning is not being realised
and language diversity is being undermined.

one climate
OneClimate is a not-for-profit initiative to bring people together to tackle climate change. For example, it
helps plug people into the international climate change negotiations from across the world. The people
behind it say that “climate change is providing humankind with one final and convincing opportunity: a wake-
up call to persuade us, as nothing ever has before, that we must act together to bring about a fair and
sustainable world”.

oneclimate.net provides innovative spaces and useful tools to enable you to communicate your experiences,
insights, questions and answers about climate change. Almost all the content is provided by users.

24

opportunities
online communities
ICT enables people to establish a connection with those
beyond their immediate circle through networking
websites.
For example, Sun Microsystems encourages its
employees to collaborate and disseminate information.
The business has over 4000 active bloggers including the
CEO and the Sun Foundation uses facebook as its
primary networking tool.
Interaction online often encourages interaction off-line,
and this might help to re-establish local communities
rather than obliterate them. Much research on the social
connected: meeting
role of ICTs has so far focused on the internet but mobile
phones play a significant role in social networks too.
Surveys in South Africa and Tanzania concluded that
mobiles were facilitating participation in existing social
networks, including participation in community group
47
activity.
consultation and collaboration
ICT can be used to communicate, collaborate and share
ideas easily over long distances, allowing people to work
together in new ways and changing how knowledge is
exchanged. We may even see a resurgence of civic
culture worldwide as ICT enables online consultations and
voting processes. However, this relies on reliable and
cheap access to hardware and internet services.
25
connected: conclusions

6
conclusions
The ICT sector faces extremely complex sustainability
challenges. However, as this paper indicates, there
are also lots of opportunities. If these are exploited
effectively, the industry will become more sustainable
and can play a valuable role in enabling other sectors,
industries and ultimately the consumer to play
their part.

Clearly, how we use ICT is crucial to the sustainability

potential of ICT products and services. The use of toxic
materials and energy during production of ICT goods
must be reduced. But what use are these reductions if the
lifetime of these goods is shorter than two years?
economic growth via increasing accessibility and lower
pricing. However, this benefit will be of little consequence
if the challenges of improving working practices, use
phases and processes are not addressed.

Engaging with the consumer can be a complex activity for

The significance to sustainability of the ‘use phase’
highlights the importance of engaging with both the
business and private consumers of ICT products and
services. ICT has the capacity to contribute to global
businesses. This is also true of incorporating sustainable
ICT solutions into business models. But both must be
done if maximum benefit is to be realised. As outlined in
the introduction of this paper, it is easy to focus on the
direct impacts and opportunities of ICT. However, the
most significant area from a sustainability perspective is
associated with the indirect and systemic effects (also
called second-order and third-order impacts or
opportunities). Through engaging consumers, educating
users and developing a dialogue between ICT businesses,
these issues can be overcome.

machines with a mission

The UK-based www.climateprediction.net is running a wide variety of climate modelling calculations - on
home computers. Special software was developed to do this in ‘background’ mode, whenever a machine is
switched on but not using all its processing power.
Seven million low-cost laptops are heading for the developing world as the One Laptop Per Child initiative
comes to fruition. Robustly made with a rubberised finish, they’ll run on open-source software. They will also
use piggy-back wireless networking so that users can contact each other independently or share one internet
connection. Consuming only seven watts, they can run for ten minutes on one minute’s hand-cranking power.
In India there is a new initiative to increase the use of information technology among rural and poorer
communities. Promoted access devices include Mobile phones, information kiosks and resource centres are
among the means being used to broaden ICT access. The country’s first national virtual congress for women
48
farmers is evidence of the kind of progress being made.

26

It is abundantly clear that ICT can have huge benefits. But
we mustn’t underestimate the rebound effect – the
potential for all the extra environmental ‘space’ created by
new technology to be swallowed up by our insatiable
appetite to consume ever more exotic products, to travel
to ever further destinations, to experience new things.
Wide-reaching policies with sustainable development at
their core are needed to enable all players in the ICT
sector to make the most of sustainability opportunities.
For example, businesses encouraging tele-working might
Are you connected?
making IT
Do you…
• Minimise the resources used in manufacturing the
hardware?
• Maximise the social benefits for workers and
communities in the supply chain?
using IT
Do you…
• Radically improve the energy efficiency of the
technologies, reducing energy use overall and
increasing the use of renewable energy?
• Ensure re-use, recycling and responsible disposal
and address rapid obsolescence?.
Above all, we see the application of these new technologies as an opportunity to address our sustainability challenges
creatively. Now it is up to you.
connected: conclusions
foster higher productivity, happier employees and reduced
congestion, hence fewer CO2 emissions. However these
gains could be wiped out if freed-up capacity is simply
filled by others who fail to adopt sustainable ICT
practices. Staff, whilst able and willing to make changes
to their personal behaviours, may find it impossible to do
so in the work place.
It is up to every one of us to show leadership. We would
like to see ICT made, used and applied in such a way that
we really do connect.
applying IT
Do you…
• Create wealth and satisfy needs with a lower
environmental impact?
• Reduce the need for people and things to move,
and transport things more efficiently?
• Give consumers wider access to cheaper, more
sustainable products and services?
• Enable people to connect, interact and strengthen
their communities?
• Innovate to solve the problems of how we live
together sustainably - here and across the world?
27
connected: appendix
appendix a policy options for government and business
Maximising key sustainability characteristics of ICT will depend on the level of co-operation between government,
business and NGOs to implement these policies. The table below shows the policy tools that are open to government
and business.
Policy tool Explanation
Frameworks A broad statement of goals
and strategy which establishes
the direction for more specific
policy measures.
Marked-based Market-based policies,
policies such as fiscal instruments,
offer a way of promoting
social and environmental
concerns by reallocating
the burden of taxation. At
the same time, they promote
innovation and stimulate
new markets.
Regulation Public authorities mandate
the social and environmental
standards to be achieved, or
the technologies to be used,
by firms.
Voluntary Firms make a commitment
industry to improve their performance
initiatives beyond strict legal stipulations.
This is commonly referred to as
corporate social responsibility.
28
49
Primary focus
Affect development at all
sustainability opportunity
levels by changing strategic
lines of thinking and creating
a fertile environment for new
policy initiatives.
Market-based policies may
create incentives to reduce
negative environmental
and social impacts, whilst
promoting a dynamic,
competitive ICT
sector in Europe.
Regulation can reduce
environmental and social
impacts. However, regulation
offers less flexibility than
market-based incentives
and so market-based
incentives should be
favoured where possible.
Voluntary initiatives can go
a long way. However, the
overall environmental and
social impact depends on
industry-wide buy-in.
Policy examples
The EU has started to take
a lead with incorporating i2010
into the 7th Framework
50
Programme (2007-13).
This creates new policy
initiatives and legislation
to promote the positive
impact of ICT on
sustainable development.
Tax exemptions could be
offered to employers
purchasing computers
for use by employees
at home. This would
promote digital inclusion
and create opportunities
for home working.
The 2006 revised EU
directive on universal
services access could
be reinterpreted to
promote universal access
to broadband.
Member state governments
could increase fines for
heavy-metal contamination
in order to encourage
industry to replace toxic
substances in production
ICT companies could commit
to exceeding the requirements
of the WEEE directive for
recycling electronic waste in
order to reduce environmental
impacts of ICT equipment.
The ICT industry could put
forward targets for efficiency
gains as part of an industry
-wide strategy for reducing
environmental impact.
 connected: appendix

Policy tool Explanation Primary focus Policy examples

Monitoring Firms commit to transparency
and reporting and accountability in their
activities. This allows
benchmarking across industry,
which can improve long-term
performance.
Over time, benchmarking
may promote sustainable
development across the
whole ICT sector.
ICT companies could commit
to triple-bottom-line
reporting under the Global
Reporting Initiative.
The ICT industry could
co-operate with NGOs and
policymakers to develop sector-
specific guidelines for triple-
bottom-line reporting.

Government- Information and financial Government-supported Government could finance and

supported support is offered by initiatives could improve support social partnerships to
initiatives different public authorities knowledge of sustainability tackle the digital divide.
to promote sustainable issues among business and Local and regional governments
development. create incentives for could provide financial support
improved environmental for online local communities,
and social performance. particularly in rural and
disadvantaged communities.

appendix b ICT sustainability initiatives

Saving the climate @ the Speed of Light
This is a joint WWF-ETNO initiative. Formed in 2004, it is a project that provides a ‘road map’ for reducing CO2
emissions in the EU and beyond. This road map aims to close the gap between academic studies on the environmental
impacts of ICT and the policy making. The full road map is available for free download at
www.panda.org/news_facts/publications/ict/index.cfm .

The Global e-sustainability Initiative (GeSI)

This is an initiative of ICT companies to improve the global environment and support sustainable development by
promoting business practices and technologies that save energy, minimise waste and help bridge the digital divide.
GeSI is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) and was launched in June 2001 - see http://www.gesi.org/

The Electronic Industry Code of Conduct (EICC)

Created in 2004, this is a code of best practice adopted by nearly 30 major electronics brands and their suppliers. The
goal is to improve conditions in the electronics supply chain. Co-operating with GeSI (see above), the group is creating
and implementing a set of tools and methods with the aim of ensuring the standards in the Code are upheld throughout
the electronics supply chain (http://www.eicc.info/downloads/EICC_FAQs.pdf).

The Green Grid

Set up in 2007, the Green Grid is a consortium of over 100 members - information technology companies and
professionals - seeking to improve energy efficiency in data centres around the globe (http://www.thegreengrid.org/).

i2010
This is the European Commission’s strategic policy framework laying out broad policy guidelines for the information
society and the media in the years up to 2010 (http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/index_en.htm).

WEEE Directive (Directive 2002/96/EC)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is the EC directive on waste electrical and electronic
equipment. It came into force in February 2003. It sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for all types of
29
connected: references

electrical goods. The directive assigns responsibility for the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment to the
manufacturers of such equipment (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/index_en.htm).

The RoHS regulation (Directive 2002/95/EC)

RoHS stands for ‘Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment’. The RoHS directive is closely linked to the WEEE directive and took effect on 1 July 2006. It restricts the
use of six hazardous materials in quantities exceeding maximum concentration values in the manufacture of various
types of electronic and electrical equipment. The materials covered are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium,
polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) - see
http://www.rohs.eu/english/index.html

Eco labels promoting environmentally sound ICT

Blue Angel labels apply to monitors /system units and portable computers (http://www.blauer-
engel.de/englisch/navigation/body_blauer_engel.htm). The European Commission eco-label applies to personal and
portable computers. (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/pdf/marketing/brochures/personal_c_brochure.pdf)

references
1 United Nations Environment Programme. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Ecosystems and Human Well-
Being: Synthesis. Washington, DC (2005): Island Press.
2 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Working Party on Indicators for the Information
Society. March 2007. Information-economy sector definitions based on the international standard industry
classification (ISIC 4).
3 Nokia. Integrated product policy project: Stage 1 Final report: Life Cycle Environmental Issues of mobile phones.
April 2005
4 ETNO and WWF. Saving the climate at the speed of light. First road map for reducing CO2 emissions in the EU
and beyond. 2006
5 Williams, M. Think upgrade before buying a new PC. Infoworld (IDG News Service), March 7 2004 -
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/07/hnunstudy_1.html; accessed 27 September 2007.
6 Earthworks. Recyclemycellphone.com; cell phone recycling report card. May 2006
7 Fuchs, C. Environment, development and sustainability - The implications of new information and communication
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8 Forum for the Future. Earth calling – The environmental impacts of the mobile telecommunications industry.
Cheltenham (2006): Forum for the Future.
9 BBC News. ‘The mechanics of e-waste recycling’. BBC News Online, 3 July 2007.
10 UNEP press release. ‘Call for global action on e-waste’. 1 December 2006.
11 BBC News. ‘Nigeria fears e-waste toxic legacy’. BBC News Online, December 2006 -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6193625.stm
12 Alakeson, Aldrich, Goodman, Jorgensen. Making the net work – sustainable development in a digital society.
Middlesex (2003): Xeris Publishing.
13 Williams, M. Think upgrade before buying a new PC. Infoworld (IDG News Service), March 7 2004 -
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/07/hnunstudy_1.html; accessed 27 September 2007..
14 Owen, P. The ampere strikes back - How consumer electronics are taking over the world. London (2007): Energy
Saving Trust.
15 Global Action Plan. An inefficient truth. London (2007): Global Action Plan.
16 McKenna, P. ‘Can we stop the internet destroying our planet?’ New Scientist, 3 January 2008.
17 Atlantic Consulting and IPU. LCA Study of the product group personal computers in the EU Ecolabel Scheme..
(1998): Altantic Consulting and IPU.
18 Predd, P P. ‘How PC is your PC?’ IEEE Spectrum, Volume 42, Issue 1, January 2005.
19 European Commission. Nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and
new production processes and devices. 22 March 2004

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 connected: references

20 CBI. Climate change: everybody’s business. London (2007): CBI Climate Change Task Force.
21 Thompson, W. ‘Turning off the digital world’. BBC News Online,15 December 2006. -
22 Williams, M. Think upgrade before buying a new PC. Infoworld (IDG News Service), March 7 2004 -
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/07/hnunstudy_1.html; accessed 27 September 2007..
23 Mallon K, Johnston G, Burton D, Cavanagh J. Towards a high-bandwidth, low-carbon future:
Telecommunications-based opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sydney (2007): Climate Risk.
24 Identifying the first 1,000,000,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions using ICT solutions. Godalming (2007): WWF.
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28 Computer Industry Almanac Inc. PCs in use reached nearly 1 billion in 2006. USA accounts for over 24% of PCs
in use. September 2007.
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July 2003
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volume 7, issue 1, 2005.
32 Sustainable Consumption Roundtable. I will if you will. March 2006
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constant prices.
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/docs/annual_report/2007/country_factsheets/2007_factsheet
_uk.pdf
35 New Scientist. ‘Watering crops in the wireless age’. 25 February 2006. See also http://nicta.com.au/
36 Bolger, A. ‘Broadband spurs rise in number of techno commuters’. Financial Times, September 3, 2007.
37 Such a system has already been suggested in Alakeson V, Aldrich T, Goodman J, Jorgensen B. Making the net
work: Sustainable development in a digital society. Middlesex (2003): Xeris Publishing.
38 Bolger, A. ‘Broadband spurs rise in number of techno commuters’. Financial Times, September 3, 2007.
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impacts. (2004): SusTel.
40 Financial Times Digital Business Special Report. ‘Need to take a holistic approach to sustainability’. 3 October
2007.
41 BT. Your guide to wireless cities. London (2006): British Telecommunications.
42 American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. How can the high-tech sector help the EU to achieve its goal
of reducing energy consumption 20% by 2020? Washington, DC (2007): ACEEE.
43 Fleet Financials. Fleet Telematics Becoming a ‘Must-Have’. February 2007
44 US Environmental Protection Agency. A glance at clean freight strategies: intermodal shipping. EPA 420-F-03-
026. Washington, DC (February 2004): EPA.
45 Chris Anderson. The Long Tail. July 2006
46 A ‘food desert’ is an urban area with little or no access to fresh fruit and vegetables and other foods needed to
maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Inequalities widen in food deserts because the poorest residents are least likely
to have the means to secure healthier food by shopping online or travelling outside the area.
47 Waverman, Meschi and Fuss. Africa: The Impact of Mobile Phones. Vodafone Policy Paper Series 2 (March
2005).
48 BBC News. ‘India’s greener IT revolution’. BBC News Online, 22 January 2008
49 Adapted from EITO: The impact of ICT on sustainable development. Berlin (2002): European Information
Technology Observatory.
50 European Commission. ICT - information and communication technologies. A theme for research and
development under the specific programme ‘Cooperation’ implementing the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-
13) of the European Community for research, technolog
51. Information from Greenpeace
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