ICTs for green growth – A priority for science policy?

Richard Labelle (rlab@sympatico.ca) Consultant, ICTs for Sustainable

Development

What informs provincial science policy? (1)

•  Provincial concerns and priorities along with belief in importance of basic research (?)

•  Many of these concerns are global & shared

•  They present opportunities for research collaboration and cost sharing leading to synergy & efficiency in the use of resources

What informs provincial science policy?

•  ICTs for green growth: –  A global & wide ranging science policy issue –  Where many others are working –  Where funds are flowing for R&D.

What informs provincial science policy?

•  Growing a green cyber environment can inspire science policy:

–  Opportunity to tackle key issues related to sustainability:

•  Sustainable energy, •  Abating climate change, •  Reducing material use, •  Increased process efficiency.

–  Opportunities for collaboration with private sector

–  Opportunities for commercializing innovation.

Consider

•  ICTs for green growth may be an area of research endeavour that is highly relevant to provincial science policy and research opportunity in Alberta and elsewhere

Many global concerns (1)

•  Energy crunch –  Energy costs (data centres, inefficient E use, etc.) drive the

private sector to reduce costs & adopt Green IT –  “Peak oil”

•  Pollution, overconsumption & overpopulation

•  Evidence of global warming

•  Environmental & other disasters –  The BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico

Many global concerns (2)

•  Basic infrastructure shortcomings / failures –  Grid failures in the US & elsewhere

•  Global security concerns –  Need for greater monitoring of population centres

& key civilian & military infrastructure: the grid! –  Cyber warfare & military apps. –  Security procedures at airports

Many global concerns (3)

•  Global economic slowdown stimulus

•  Greater public concern about environmental issues & climate change everywhere –  World Bank & other surveys of public perceptions

@ environment

(ICT) Technology catalysts (1)

•  Digitization dematerialization –  Telepresence travel replacement

•  Miniaturization nanotechnology –  Reduced energy consumption of devices –  Moore’s Law still works

•  Web 2 & open standards, Web 3 next –  Interoperability

(ICT) Technology catalysts (2)

•  NGNs: fast (FTTx), interoperable, redundant, converged & intelligent –  Grid & cloud computing –  Wireless technologies

•  Environmental monitoring technologies: –  Sensors: low power & embedded in devices and

networks

Ubiquitous computing

(ICT) Technology catalysts (3)

•  Pervasive computing, Internet of Things, Wireless sensor networks, RFID, ... –  Smart devices connected to NGNs

•  Smartphones •  Smart sensors, sensor networks, nanosensors (smart

dust) •  Low power consuming devices / sensors

Market drivers (opportunities)

•  Demand for broadband services: –  Video (YouTube), triple play, IP TV, ...

•  Proliferation of wireless based services: –  Cell phone (smartphone) uptake

•  Mobile > desktop in ~ 5 yrs •  Social networking + mobile

•  Alternative energy sources & technologies

Environmental reporting

Global clean energy investments

Green IT - Definition •  Using ICTs to :

–  Observe & measure & report on earth systems –  Reduce GHG emissions & environmental impact

•  Limiting e-waste –  Facilitate / enable sustainable use of energy and

natural resources

•  Green growth: promoting sustainable economic growth and development in an energy constrained global economy. –  Green IT major component of stimulus in several

countries (Ko, Jp, CN, US, EU, etc.)

Possible partners (1)

•  In EU for example: – National E-Science Centre (U. of Glasgow /

Edinburgh, UK) – EMPA: Swiss research institute on

materials science and technologies – Sussex Energy Group at Science and

Tech. Policy Research (SPRU, U. of Sussex, UK)

– Govt. of Denmark

Possible partners (2 - EU)

•  Industry / government associations –  ETNO (European Telecom Network Operators’

Association) –  GSM Association –  FTTH Council Europe –  GeSI (ICT industry, ITU, UNEP - Bell Canada is

supporting member) –  Energy Efficiency Inter-Operator Collaboration

Group (EU, Japan, AU, ZA, US – no CA participation)

–  Intellect (UK tech. industry) –  Government –  UK., EU,

Possible partners (3 - EU)

•  ICT/ telecoms standard setting bodies –  ITU-T, ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards

Institute), etc.

•  Civil society –  SEI (Oxford/Sweden), –  WWF Sweden (Pamlin)

•  Telcom operators: –  BT, Telefonica, France Telecom, Belgacom, Telecom Italia,

Magyar Telecom, Deutsche Telecom, Orange, Huawei, Cisco, Juniper, Freescale, etc.

•  Other firms in sector: AccountAbility, SAS UK,

Possible partners - Canada

•  CANARIE •  ERA Can (Cdn. Fdtn for Innovation)

–  Facilitates collaboration with EU research organizations •  PROMPT Inc. •  Etc..

Take aways (1)

•  Opportunities ? – Energy measurement / metering – Standard setting – Env. service provision

•  Data management, e-surveillance, property management smart buildings

•  Climate change modeling, scenario building via cloud / grid computing

– Energy service provision? •  Smart grid monitoring, reporting, remote mgmt.,

etc.

Take aways (2)

– Green / sustainable design – a research opportunity? •  BIM high end, high value!

–  Target: the AEC community •  Sustainability assessment services: Green

sigma (IBM) – Application development

•  Environmental apps. for mobile, etc.

Take aways (3)

–  Innovation, R&D: •  Microprocessor design •  Broadband for the smart grid •  Sensor technologies •  Nanotechnologies (nanosensors, smart

sensors, smart dust, etc.) •  Low power / self powering sensors •  Grid technologies

Challenges

•  Lack of awareness •  Lack of knowledge •  Lack of standards •  Cost of Green ICT

–  May lead to increase in GHG emissions initially •  Will rural dwellers benefit? •  Lack of roadmap / strategy

References

•  Tuppen, C. 2008. A climate stabilisation intensity target. C. Tuppen, Director Sustainable Development BT. ITU London Symposium on ICTs and climate change, July 2008. 17 slides. Slide 2.

•  Global e-Sustainability Initiative and the Climate Group. 2008. SMART 2020: Enabling the low carbon economy in the information age. 87 pp. Fig. 8.

•  National Information Society Agency, Republic of Korea.

•  Pew Charitable Trusts. 2010. Who’s winning the clean energy race? Growth, Competition and Opportunity in the World’s Largest Economies.

G-20 CLEAN ENERGY FACTBOOK. The Clean Energy Economy. 44 pp.

Thank you