What is the problem? ICT's potential to reduce other sector's energy and carbon footprints not exploited

The ICT sector claims that the deployment of its technologies can lead to increased energy efficiency and a 15% reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions across the economy. The basis for these claims is unknown.

Why is EU Action required? Build partnerships across sectors to improve energy efficiency

The lack of transparency regarding metrics and methodologies constitutes a major barrier to the deployment of these technologies. The ICT sector should work with the buildings and construction, transport and logistics, and energy sectors to identify where potential lies and agree on a consistent approach to quantifying the enabling effect of ICTs.

What will the Commission do?

• Bottom-up approach: the Commission has established a cooperation network between around 40 pilots in the CIP (Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme) to work on a methodology for measuring the concrete benefits of ICT solutions deployed in buildings.
• Top-down approach: The European Commission, standardisation organisations and the industry will begin working on a coherent way to assess the ICT sector's potential to lead to energy savings in other sectors once a more harmonised way of measuring the ICT sector's own energy and carbon footprints has been established.

In 2011:

Cross-sectoral stakeholder events will be organised to investigate and propose solutions for resolving the barriers that prevent cooperation and the deployment of ICT solutions today.

By 2013 :

Elaboration of the joint roadmaps for large-scale deployment of ICT solutions by the ICT, buildings and transport sectors.

Contact:

colette.maloney@ec.europa.eu