ICT has key role in tackling climate change

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The information and communications technology (ICT) industry has a critical role to play in tackling climate change.

So claims Warren Wilson, a senior analyst with Ovum, who believes ICT has three pivotal roles in addressing the issues - roles that will also have positive knock-on benefits for businesses too.

The first role is to make computing a lot more energy efficient. However, Wilson said in a statement: “to focus only on this direct energy consumption is to ignore larger opportunities elsewhere.”

Therefore the second role is to look into replacing high carbon functions, for example taking a flight to a meeting, with low carbon activities, such as video conferencing.

The most critical role, in Wilson’s opinion, is: “using ICT to monitor, measure, analyse and minimise the impact of manufacturing, buildings, vehicle fleets and other operations that account for the vast majority of energy consumption and carbon emissions.”

The article by Wilson in Ovum’s Straight Talk Monthly newsletter acknowledges that often organisations’ efforts to go green are viewed with some scepticism. He believes the best way forward is to ensure both the environmental and business benefits are front of mind together.

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