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

Email

Core network

Tokyo NiigataWPCGWPCG

BS MS

LS GS TS GS LS

BSMS

CiRCUS

Voice call / videophone

Email

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