The move comes with proposals from the industry to increase the use of energy-saving technologies and to shift consumers' behaviour from reliance on products based on scarce resources, such as paper, to reusable electronic alternatives, such as digital notebooks.
The potential economic gains of the switch-over for the ICT industry are enormous but, as recognised by the Commission, it would also generate overall environmental improvements of benefit for all.
"ICT is the engine of economic growth and productivity. The new challenge is to make sure ICT can deliver the same gains for energy efficiency. There is a tremendous untapped potential for adding intelligence to components, products, equipment and services," said Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding.
The Commission is planning to endorse measures to increase the use of ICT against climate change. This could lead to compulsory public procurement standards, as announced by Commissioner Reding in February (see EurActiv 22/02/08).
At the same time, the Commission is also asking the ICT sector to "clean up its own house". The digital technology industry is responsible for 2% of global CO2 emissions (the same share as the airline industry), according to research published in April 2007 by Gartner, a leading IT research company.
ICT is not bound by any compulsory environmental measures at EU level, while the airline industry is being included in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (see our Links Dossier on Aviation and emissions trading).
"The carbon footprint of the ICT sector can be improved," Reding said during a conference organised on Tuesday (8 April) by EICTA, the association that represents the digital technology industry in Europe. But she acknowledged that "the ICT industries are ready to set a good example. In Europe, British Telecom and Deutsche Telekom have been leading the way in reducing carbon emissions".
However, the industry is currently continuing to shy away from any commitment to cut emissions produced by its products and services. The present engagement only goes as far as developing systems to monitor emissions more effectively.
