Here’s a recent communication by the European Commissions acknowledging the importance of ICT towards sustainable economic and societal growth in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions. The communication focuses on ICT itself (replacement of old technology equipment with newer and more efficient) and on improving energy efficiency across the economy through the use of ICT (innovations, data networks, broadband infrastructures).
This communication is launching a consultation and partnership process together with an information gathering and analysis exercise that will provide the basis for the elaboration of a second communication in which the main areas for action should be identified.
According to Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information Society and Media:
“To meet Europe’s energy efficiency goals by 2020, we need a high growth, low carbon economy. Research and rapid take-up of innovative energy efficient ICT solutions will be crucial to lowering emissions across the whole economy. There is a win-win situation in which ICT will promote the competitiveness of EU industry while leading the fight against climate change.”
You can access the communication directly from here.
Under the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7), EC will support projects aimed at developing energy-neutral homes and offices (which supply all their own power), and methods to manage local power grids to boost energy efficiency. Under the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP), EU funding is being used to support a network of ICT suppliers and public agencies to share information and foster the emergence of new energy services made more efficient through ICT tools.
Read more here.
