ict innovations for sustainability

7/23/2019 ICT Innovations for Sustainability

1/9

The energy demand of ICT-Feynmans limit

ICT for Sustainability: An emerging Research Field

Lorenz M. Hilty and Bernard Aebischer

Any theories or actions referring to sustainability should therefore answer Dobsons

(Dobson, A: n!iron"ental #ustainabilities: an analysis and ty$ology. n!iron.

%olitics &(', )*+)- (+//0, $.)*0 1$rinci$al organizing 2uestion3, na"ely:

4hat is to be sustained5

6o "a7e sustainable use of a syste" # with regard to a function 8 and a ti"e

horizon L "eans to use # in a way that does not co"$ro"ise its ability to ful9ll 8 for

a $eriod L.

#yste" # (resource: infor"ation syste"

8unction 8 (ser!ice $ro!ided: teaching

6i"e horizon (L: generations

Def: Ma7ing sustainable use of our infor"ation syste"s in order to $ro!ide teaching

for $resent and future generations.

Decoupling and Dematerialiation:6o "a7e a transition toward sustainable

de!elo$"ent $ossible, we "ust increase our understanding of technological

substitution and focus on inno!ation that dri!es substitution in asustainable direction"

Sustainainable #CI: p"$%

. Man7o; et all $ro$osed a characterization of sustainability in interacti!e

technologies according to the following categories:

1#ustainability through design3: How can the design of technology and

interacti!e syste"s su$$ort sustainable lifestyles or $ro"ote sustainable

beha!ior5cofeedbac7

1#ustainability in design3: How can technology itself be designed such that its

use is sustainable5

downloaded


2/9

Important:

&"'" #uang (Building outwards fro" sustainable H=> describes an 1initial wa!e of

research3 in sustainable H=>, ha!ing shown that 1H=> can contribute to solutions to

sustainability challenges3, but also that $roble"s of sustainability cannot be

1fra"ed $urely as $roble"s for H=> or interaction design issues3. Based on this, she$ro$oses building bridges to other 9elds: to e?isting bodies of en!iron"ental data

(such as L=A data and related theories, "ethods, and "odels@ to en!iron"ental

$sychology (e.g. . when designing ecofeedbac7 syste"s@ and, last but not least, to

realworld situations such as negotiating with "unici$ality.

(reen IS strategy is de9ned as 1the organizational $ers$ecti!e on the in!est"ent

in, de$loy"ent, use and "anage"ent of infor"ation syste"s (># in order to

"ini"ize the en!iron"ental i"$acts of >#, ># enabled $roducts and ser!ices, and

business o$erations3

1reen ># C $ro"ise a "uch greater, organizational $otential to "easure,

"onitor, re$ort and reduce the 9r"s en!iron"ental foot$rint, but the

transfor"ation of the business with the hel$ of reen ># re2uires a holistic longter"

strategy3.

(6owards a ty$ology of green ># strategies: insights fro" case study research

Loeser, re7, Earne7ow

ICT for Sustainability )ICT*S+:

Sustainability in ICT: Ma7ing >=6 goods and ser!ices "ore sustainable o!er

their whole life cycle, "ainly by reducing the energy and "aterial Fows they

in!o7e: reen >6

Sustainability by ICT: =reating, enabling, and encouraging sustainable

$atterns of $roduction and consu"$tion by "eans of >=6: #ustainable H=> and

>.

A "atri? of >=6 e;ects, $agina -&

G #ustainable de!elo$"ent e ter"enul clar $.-', sustainability e cel !ag

#ubstituting i""aterial for "aterial: #$rengs triangle

G >n broad ter"s, de"aterialization is the aggregate result of "any $rocesso$ti"izations and "edia substitutions, "oderated by rebound e;ects

The &nergy &,ciency ene.ts and the &conomic Imperati!e of ICT-&nabled

Systems

6he >A (>nternational nergy Agency re$orts that the annual routine in!est"ents

for building industry energy eciency i"$ro!e"ents are u$ to '** billion globally in


3/9

-*++. nergy eciency u$grades is at a scale that is si"ilar to renewable energy

and fossil fuel $ower sector in!est"ents.

4ithout energy eciency i"$ro!e"ents, energy consu"$tion would ha!e

increased by /'I, o!er the $eriod +/J* through -*+*.

>n -*+- Laitner, %artridge and Kittore e?$lored the "icro le!el of energy eciency

associated with increased ado$tion of >=6 and broadband ser!ices at the residential

le!el. 6hey e?a"ined consu"er acti!ities enabled by the de!elo$"ent of

broadband technology online education. 6he study found the .#. could generate

an annual net energy sa!ings of about ''0 "illion barrels of oil, e2ui!alent of -I of

total .#. energy consu"$tion$.)'

lobal sustainability initiati!e (e#>: e#> #"arter -*-* study found that the

total abate"ent $otential of >=6enabled solutions in -*-* was about /.+ gigatons

of carbon dio?ide e2ui!alent of a sa!ings of about +0.&I of global H= e"issions

by -*-*.

Mechanis"s of greenhouse gas e"issions reductions. #ource e#> -*+-:

Digitalization de"aterialization *.& (t=N-, Data collectionco""unication+.&

(t=N-, #yste" integration-.) (t=N-, %rocess, acti!ity, functional o$ti"ization

+.J (t=N-

Lower energy $rices and a $ositi!e inco"e e;ect are li7ely to follow these energy

eciency i"$ro!e"ents. 6he rebound e;ect is li7ely to be li"ited to +*I'*I of

the initial energy sa!ings in the short ter".$.)0

Actors of inno!ation in (reen IT

reening >6 is a $rocess re2uired for reducing the consu"$tion of energy and

scarce "aterials used in >6. reen >6 is a factor of inno!ation which can be

considered as a large $otential i"$acting contributor in ter"s of e"$loy"ent and

societal i"$ro!e"ents.

Def: 1reen >6 is the e;ort to reduce resource consu"$tion and en!iron"ental

i"$act in >6. C Actions can a;ect the whole life cycle of >6fro" construction !ia

utilization through to dis$osal. 3

Rebound e/ects and ICT: A re!ie0 of the literature

$.)'0: 6he =oal


4/9

direct rebound e;ects: lower energy cost induces $rice reductions that trigger an

increase in the de"and for the chea$er good.

indirect rebound e;ect: resource is used "ore eciently and its $rice goes down, in

induces the consu"$tion of other co""odities.

econo"ywide rebound e;ects.

G #"art -*-*: underlines that in the case of >=6, 1$re!ention of the rebound e;ect

re2uires an e"issionconstraining fra"ewor7 3, suggesting that energy eciency

technologies alone are not enough to foster energy sa!ings -), $.-.

Direct rebound e;ects: $.))+: +//*-**&, >n #witzerland, the a!erage $hysical

"ass of a "obile $hone was reduced by a factor of ).), while the total "ass of all

$hones increased by O.

>ndirect rebound e;ects: elearning: electronic deli!ery does not result in a

reduction in energy or =N- NP =aird et al. )*online education did lead tode"aterialization.

cono"y4ide Pebound ;ects

1 Conclusion: G >n general ter"s, an eciency strategy "ust always be

acco"$anied by a suciency strategy.

integrating rebound e;ects in lifecycle assess"ents

=o"bining technological eciency "easures with $ollution ca$$ing would 1create

incenti!es that would s$ur de"andside eciencies, to "atch those already

realized on the su$$ly side.3

Pebound e;ects re2uire $rofound changes in our $roduction syste"s and

consu"$tion $atterns in order to achie!e a sustainable transition of hu"an

societies.

The Interdependency of energy2 information2 and gro0th

nergy eciency inno!ation al"ost always includes so"e cobene9ts. >n the case

of train engines, s"oother traction, faster acceleration, s"aller engines etc. were

econo"ically "ore i"$ortant to ta7e ad!antage of than fully e?$loiting higher

energy eciency. enerally, cobene9ts of energy eciency inno!ation, li7ereduced cost and higher con!enience (e.g. ti"e sa!ing for the user are

econo"ically attracti!e and will often generate econo"ic growth.

More often than not, as with >=6 in the te?tile industry or $ower electronics, the

energy eciency e;ect, clearly e!ident at the l!l of one a$$lication, does not lead

to energy conser!ation on the "acroecono"ic le!el. nergy conser!ation is a

cultural achie!e"ent, but is not natural to us (4esterners, it re2uires !aluing


5/9

leisure, where as energy eciency often increases without s$ecial e;ort and does

not necessarily lead to energy conser!ation.

GGG >f ti"e (an i"$ortant fraction of labor and cu"ulated ti"e (an i"$ortant

function of ca$ital cost "ore than energy (and other natural resources and if

consu"er $references re"ain unchanged the "ore >=6 leads o!er to:

Qo energy conser!ation, but instead to 6i"e sa!ings, faster $roduction and econo"ic growth, i.e. higher labor and ca$ital $roducti!ity (li7ely "ore une"$loy"ent and

chea$er $roducts.

>=6 could easily lead to "ore sustainability, if

Leisure =6 gadgets.

lectronic "edia is not a straightforward solution for de"aterialization, but it can

facilitate it if its $otential is acti!ely sought and unleashed.

(ami.cation and sustainable consumption3 o!ercoming the limitations of

persuasi!e technologies 45SS-5ersuasi!e Sustainability Systems6

%## tend to $ersuade consu"ers to change their beha!ior in order to achie!e as$eci9c syste" goal. 4hereas ecofeedbac7 syste"s ha!e the character of raising

awareness.

4ithin the design structure of %6based a$$roaches (%ersuasi!e technologies,

while focusing on "easurable as$ects of sustainability and assu"ing consu"ers are

$urely rationally "oti!ated, it "a7es sense to consider consu"ers as unifor"

agents. Howe!er, ignoring the co"$le? interaction between the indi!idual, grou$


6/9

society loc7s out "aTor consu"er seg"ents and "ay not lead to solutions that can

sustain "oti!ation o!er a long $eriodS $.'J'

%6based a$$roaches are ty$ically designed following the $arading that raising

awareness and changing attitudes are the "ain dri!ers for beha!ior change.

"$irical results suggest that so"e beha!iors are induced neither by attitude norintention@ A too narrow focus on awareness and attitude, "isses the $ower on

consu"ers decisions deri!ing fro" a broad 9eld of !arious inFuences. S

co""unities, "aTor cor$orations, rules and regulations.

S %6 $ersuades $eo$le rather than creating o$$ortunities for negotiation, reFection

and selfcon!iction.

Sa"i9cation in the area of "oti!ating engaging consu"ers: the goal of

ga"i9cation in this area is to engage consu"ers in the $rocess of de!elo$ing their

own beliefs, and it does this by 1the $rocess of using ga"e thin7ingga"e

"echanis"s3$. 'J&

6he "oti!ational $ower of ga"es: 8low@ %layer ty$es@ Model of #7illAc2uisition@

=oo$eration =o"$etition@ Learning.

8low: ?$resses a state of being co"$letely absorbed in what one does.

Pe2uire"ents for a a"i9cation Based A$$roach to #ustainable =onsu"$tion: +.

Pes$ecting consu"ers as indi!iduals@ -. Pes$ecting the consu"ers autono"y@ '.

>ntroducing the social le!el@ ). nabling =ollecti!e Action@ $.'- Uconcluzie bulleturi

To0ard the ne7t generation of corporate en!ironmental management

information systems: 8hat is still missing9

"issions, energy, waste and "aterial Fows are the "ost fre2uently "entioned

obTects of M>#V=M>#.

GGG Lac7 of integrating =M># with accounting and $roduction.

++* software $roducts: en!iron"ental and en!iron"ental law databases@

en!iron"ental "anage"ent0*I@ en!iron"ental accounting, and "aterial Fow

analysis co"$liance "anage"ent.

An IS Supporting Cap and Trade in rganiations:

6he =a$ and 6rade $rinci$le introduced as an instru"ent of cli"ate $olicy can be

a$$lied at the intraorganizational le!el when an organization decides to li"it or

reduce the e"issions caused by its acti!ities.

Peducing greenhouse gas e"issions is absolutely essentialone $ossible tool for

acco"$lishing this tas7 is e"ission trading.


7/9

-**& launched "issions 6rading #yste" ( 6#.

the $rice is & euros $er ton of =N-V8ebruary -*+), which does not $ro!ide a

9nancial incenti!e to reduce =N- e"issions.

GGG 6radable units could be greenhouse gas e"ission $er"its as well as rights to use

scarce goods, such as $ar7ing s$aces or conference roo"s.

Addressing the obsolescence of end-user de!ices: approaches from the

.eld of Sustainable #CI

Ble!is -**J: Nbsolescence can be addressed if 1things are designed and

constructed with sucient 2uality and "odularity3.

#ustainability through design: ecofeedbac7

#ustainability in design: stri!es to reduce the "aterial e;ect of hardware or

software. (sustainability interaction design

#ustainability interaction design: >f things are designed and constructed with

sucient 2uality and "odularity, $eo$le "ay be inclined to loo7 after the" and

selecti!ely u$date the", creating the e;ect of achie!ing longe!ity of use.

Re-use: rene0able #CI; Re-use: Transferability2 Repair2 Re-use of

materials2 augmentation"

1 #i"ilarly, Han7s et al. +& argue that so"e $eo$le $refer longe!ity of use for

de!ices, fully aware of and "a7ing reference to the en!iron"ental concerns

connected with ra$id re$lace"ent. 6he co"bination of awareness of longe!ity and

incenti!es often intangible, al"ost "eta$hysical can lead to a strong a$$eal of

longe!ity.

Longe!ity: Longe!ity of functionality and >ntrinsec "oti!ation for longe!ity

The transition from des


8/9

6he higher eciency of indi!idual de!ices is fully co"$ensated by the $roduction

e;orts for all additional de!ices in use.

G Nne conclusion fro" these in!estigations is that the nu"ber of >=6 de!ices in use

should be 7e$t as s"all as $ossible.

All in all, fro" the sustainability $ers$ecti!e the results $resented in this cha$ter

clearly indicate that the increasing nu"ber of de!ices co"bined with their higher

utilization rate o!erco"$ensate the ecological gains fro" size reduction in >=6

hardware co"$onents for the "o"ent.

Recycling of ICT e=uipment in industrialied and de!eloping countries:

Based on the $rinci$le of ?tended %roducer Pes$onsibility (%P, industrialized

countries ha!e legislated 4 (4aste lectronic and lectrical 2ui$"ent

"anage"ent.

G one of the earliest legislati!e fra"ewor7s is the S0iss rdinance on theReturn2 Ta


9/9

S8ig. -:

ict innovations for sustainability

Documents