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Finding a solution for stopping climate change: this is the greatest challenge of our age. ICT forms part of the problem, but it is also the key to a whole range of solutions. One held a debate about green ICT and ICT for Green on the green roof of Cameleon in Brussels, a shopping complex where sustainability and energy effi ciency have been applied, down to the smallest detail of the building.

Accounting for a share of approximately two to three per cent of CO2 emissions worldwide, ICT forms part of the problem. This all has to do with the explosion in data volumes and the rapid growth of ICT use. Fortunately, ICT is not only a part of the problem but also an essential element in the solution. Various methods have now become available for successfully reducing the carbon footprint of ICT, including virtualization and energysaving measures. At the same time, smart ICT solutions are helping to reduce the impact of entire companies – not just from ICT alone. Studies show that with the help of ICT solutions, it would be possible to reduce worldwide CO2 emissions by fifteen per cent. This is an important discovery, certainly in the context of Europe’s 20/20/20 goals: to achieve a twenty per cent reduction in emissions by the year 2020 (compared to 1990), with twenty per cent greater energy efficiency and twenty per cent of energy being derived from sustainable production.

Green all over

In practice, we see that energy consumption and ICT are gradually showing up on CEO’s agendas. Often, the cost reductions that can be achieved through the rationalization of energy consumption are the initial reasons a company starts to think in more green terms. “It’s important that the CEO supports an organization’s green project,” points out Kurt De Vriendt, Director of Procurement, Infrastructure and Information Technology for the Flemish Parliament. “Green ICT has to be part of a larger context. The energy consumption of the ICT infrastructure at the Flemish Parliament accounts for just a fraction of the total. That is why we are also looking at the consumption for the elevators, the climate control in the offices and conference rooms.” Concretely, the Flemish Parliament has developed a policy plan to assess the energy consumption of the entire organization and to do something about the largest consumers, as well as compensating for the remaining energy use.

ICT makes the difference

“Although ICT is a part of the problem, ICT can also be the basis for a solution,” says Rob Vanhees, Marketing Manager at Belgacom. “After all, ICT is playing an increasingly important role within companies, and in SMEs as well. Virtually all business processes have an ICT component, from the back office applications to the mobile mail on the sales representatives’ smartphones. ICT developments such as convergence and cloud computing are making these processes not only more efficient but also a lot greener. ICT can therefore play a key role in developing measures and solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” “Thanks to ICT we can work from home more often,” notes Stefaan Vandist, Managing Partner at Studio Spark, a company that helps organizations move toward sustainability. “In my view, that’s the best thing you can do to become ‘greener.’ And if you do have to drive, then you can reduce your emissions by not driving alone. An application such as Avego – for finding a driver who can give you a ride or to offer a ride to others – is a good example of the way ICT can help make a difference.”

From design to recycling

At the moment, green ICT aims primarily to reduce the energy consumed for electricity and cooling. But green ICT needs to go a step further. The manufacture of devices is highly dependent on metals and minerals: these are resources that the planet does not have in unlimited quantities. That is why green ICT has to focus on the full ecological impact of ICT. “That starts with the development and production of the hardware and stops at the end of its life cycle,” says Philippe Deconinck, Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist at Belgacom. “During the design phase already, the manufacturer needs to take into account the requirements for efficient recycling of disused or damaged devices.”

ICT helps improve the environment

ICT can also be an important enabler for research into environmental pollution. Only a clear insight into environmental problems can allow us to take the right measures. “We have developed a mobile application for smartphones, called NoiseTube,” states Ellie D’Hondt, postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. “With this application, anyone – anywhere in the world – can measure the environmental noise level in decibels and see it displayed instantly on screen. This can make people aware of potential noise pollution and allow them to adjust their behavior. The data from the measurements is also transmitted to our database. That way, we can gather information about noise pollution.” Thanks to the application, there’s no need to install countless senior management within companies which steps they need to take to move in the right – green – direction. Stefaan Vandist: “That’s a question of time. In scarcely 10 years’ time, we have all become familiar with what a megabyte, a megapixel or a download are. In the same way, consumers will ultimately become just as familiar with the environmental performance of a car or a freezer.”

Advantages for the user

The labels that currently display the energy consumption of household appliances are already clearly raising awareness. Although, in fact, consumers should not have to choose between labels. Ellie D’Hondt: “There’s still a lot of room for fundamental improvements. Suppliers and companies need to concentrate more on developing green products, also in terms of production. Th is can have a lot more impact than individual choices alone.” A truly major breakthrough for green ICT will probably only come when ecology and the advantages for the user converge. The interest in teleworking is not based on the eco-friendly aspects but on the fact that people have to commute less and therefore have more free time left over. “We need to try to look at everything in the long term,” concludes Kurt De Vriendt. “Making the move to a green datacenter may not be the cheapest solution but, in the long term, it is the best one.” That is probably the best way to approach green ICT: the price effect is not the primary driver but rather the well-being of future generations.

More info?

For more information on Green ICT, contact your Account Manager.

Cameleon

Since 1988, Cameleon has been organizing private sales of prestigious fashion, shoes, accessories and decorative items at very profitable prices. Besides its points of sales at Elsene and Genval, Cameleon has also launched the online sales space Snapstore by Cameleon (www.snapstore.be) and has opened a third department store at Woluwe. This shopping space of 8,000 m2 is the first ecologically-constructed store in Europe, completely developed with maximal respect for the environment. This achievement was crowned by several Belgian and international awards:

• MAPIC AWARDS 2009 Best Sustainable Retail Development of the Year

• Nominated as BÂTIMENT EXEMPLAIRE EN ENERGIE ET ECO-CONSTRUCTION by the Government of the Brussels Region

• MERCURY PRIZE 2009 espace commercial le plus réussi de Belgique Do you wish to become a member of the Cameleon family to enjoy the best offers? Surf to www.cameleon.be/partners/one-magazine

Studio Spark

Studio Spark is a young agency located in Antwerp that helps organizations with the development of sustainable innovations. The agency starts from a multidisciplinary approach. Studio Spark not only considers the scientific and technical dimension of sustainability, the agency also searches for a link with business economical levers and factual insights in the consumer behaviour.