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Green Technology: Driving Economic and Environmental Benefits from ICT

Green Technology: Driving Economic and Environmental Benefits from ICT was produced in January 2009 by the World Economic Forum within the framework of the Governors for Information Technology Partnership Programme. We are grateful to Accenture for their significant contribution.

Editors

Joanna Gordon World Economic Forum Andrew Skinner Accenture Andrew Button Accenture

Project Adviser

Stephen Nunn Accenture

Steering Group

2|Page

Summary

Building on the work of the 2007 IT & Telecoms Industry Partnership Programme, this report focuses on the potential environmental and economic benefits of using ICT solutions. While the IT sector produces only 2% of global emissions, efficient and innovative use of ICT can lead to green solutions across multiple industries. Such solutions provide innovative changes to the way a business functions, rather than purely focusing on traditional ICT programme-led benefits, which historically lay in technology-based energy reductions. The key enabler to the implementation of such innovative solutions is the ability to (1) identify, develop and prioritize where the opportunities exist, (2) estimate the environmental and economic benefits and (3) measure, assess and maximize the results. To support this approach, a standard framework has been developed to help organizations understand how the use of innovative ICT solutions can have a greater impact on the environmental and economic bottom line. The framework is divided into three key aspects: • Business Area: specific areas within the business which can be addressed • Green Business Innovation: strategic, infrastructure, application and process areas where ICT innovations can enable environmental impacts • Measurement Protocols: ability to track the actual benefits Many business-driven sustainability or green initiatives are already underpinned by the use of technology. By making the...