InternationalTelecommunicationUnion
Session 5: Building a Green Future
Methodologies for Assessing the impact of ICTs on Climate
Change
Keith DickersonChairman SG5 WP3 ICT &
Climate Change
1
2
Overview
What has ITU-T done so far? How are we measuring the impact
of ICTs on Climate Change? What is ITU-T going to do next? Who are we working with?
ITU-T Timeline for ICTs and Climate Change
Dec 2007: ITU Technology Watch report on ICTs & CC Jul 2008: TSAG sets up Focus Group on ICTs & CC
4 deliverables including methodology Oct 2008: WTSA Resolution 73 on ICTs & CC Apr 2009: FG ICTs & CC report to TSAG May 2009: SG5 renamed “Environment & Climate
Change” and sets up: New WP3 on “ICT and Climate Change” JCA on ICT & CC
Mar 2010: Approval of L.1000 Universal Charger Oct 2010: Consent of L.1400 Methodology Umbrella
ITU-T WP3/5ICTs & Climate Change
Q17 Coordination and Planning of ICT&CC related standardization
Q18 Methodology of environmental impact assessment of ICT
Q19 Power feeding systemsQ20 Data Collection for Energy Efficiency
for ICTs over the lifecycleQ21 Environmental protection and
recycling of ICT equipments/facilities
Methodology Recommendations under Preparation
L.1400 General Umbrella, consented on 1 October 2010 Covers definition of different types of environmental impacts, and
general principles for the evaluation of ICT environmental impacts Focuses on energy and GHG emissions. Other environmental
impacts, e.g. raw material depletion or water impact tackled later Environmental impact of ICT goods, networks and services
Covers direct and indirect impacts of ICT Expected mid-2011
Environmental impact of ICT in organisations Includes 3 scopes of ISO 14064-1 Expected mid-2011
Environmental impact of ICT projects Environmental impact of ICT in cities Environmental impact of ICT in countries or group of countries
Environmental aspects of ICT
6
Impact of ICT goods, networks and services
Agreement to focus on energy and GHG emission impacts, over the entire life cycle
Agreement to provide guidance on how to evaluate direct and indirect impacts when using ICT products, networks and services, in comparison with a baseline scenario without ICT
Agreement to establish the recommendation in compliance with ISO 14040-44 principles
Draft recommendation in progress, usage of the results of the Focus Group “ICT and Climate Change”
Recommendation expected mid-2011
Impact of own GHG emissions
LCA require to set Functional Unit System boundary Allocation procedure
LAN switch
Router
LAN switch
Router
DSU
Subscriber module DSLAM OLT
ONUADSL modem
PC PC PC
Access network equipment
Subscriber station
Transfer facility
Internet Service Provider
ISDN ADSL FTTH
Boundary for evaluation
Metallic cable Metallic cable Optical cable
LAN switch
Router
LAN switch
Router
DSU
Subscriber module DSLAM OLT
ONUADSL modem
PCPC PCPC PCPC
Access network equipment
Subscriber station
Transfer facility
Internet Service Provider
ISDN ADSL FTTH
Boundary for evaluation
Metallic cable Metallic cable Optical cable
Case study: LCA of Wired NetworkCase study: LCA of Wired Network
-20.0
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
120.0
ISDN ADSL FTTHCO
2 em
issi
ons
[kg-
CO
2/ye
ar/s
ubsc
ribe
r]
Disposal/recycling
Use
Production
Recovery by recycling
Impact of own GHG emissions
LCA require to set Functional Unit System boundary Allocation procedure
Case study: LCA of Wireless NetworkCase study: LCA of Wireless Network
LS GS TS GS LS
BSMS
CiRCUS
Voice call / videophone
Core network
Tokyo NiigataWPCGWPCG
BS MS
LS GS TS GS LS
BSMS
CiRCUS
Voice call / videophone
Core network
Tokyo NiigataWPCGWPCG
BS MS
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
CO
2 em
issi
ons
[kg-
CO
2/ye
ar/s
ubsc
ribe
r] Use
Production
Disposal/ recycling
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Ene
rgy
cons
umpt
ion[
GJ/
year
/sub
scri
ber]
Use
Production
Disposal/ recycling
Impact of ICT in Organisations
Agreement to focus on energy and GHG emission impacts
Agreement to establish the recommendation in compliance with ISO 14064-1 principles (which comes from GHG Protocol), including 3 scopes
Draft recommendation in progress Recommendation expected mid-2011
Impact of ICT Projects
Scope: agreement to evaluate initially only greenhouse gases involved in GHG emission reductions or GHG removal enhancements, over the entire life cycle
Agreement to evaluate projects in the ICT sector and also projects using ICT to mitigate GHG emissions in other economic sectors
Agreement to establish the recommendation in compliance with ISO 14064-2
Agreement to submit the recommendation to UNFCCC for potential inclusion on CDM-like mechanisms
Draft recommendation in progress
Environmental Load Reductions possible using ICTs
Consumption of materials Power/Energy consumption Movement of people Movement of materials Improved efficiency of office space Storage of goods Improved work efficiency Waste
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Impact on other sectors - Teleworking
Typical CO2 emissions per unit area of office space
Japan USA
Video conference held between Tokyo and Yokohama, once a week (48 times / year), one hour each time, participated in by two people from each office
Video conference held between Tokyo and Yokohama, every working day (240 times / year), eight hours each time, participated in by two people from each office
Evaluation Result
0
5
10
15
20
25
Conference on a trip Video conferenceEner
gy C
onsu
mpt
ion(
GJ/
year
)
DisposalUseProduction
Evaluation Result
0.00.51.01.52.02.53.03.54.04.5
Conference on a trip Video conferenceEner
gy C
onsu
mpt
ion(
GJ/
year
)
DisposalUseProduction
Reduction of 53% (91%) Reduction of 52% (59%)
Impact on other sectors- Videoconferencing
Cooperations include:
Digital Europe