icts for green growth: a priority for science policy? - richard labelle, icts for sustainable...
TRANSCRIPT
ICTs for green growth – A priority for science policy?
Richard Labelle ([email protected]) 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