ICT, climate change & development workshop
Johannesburg
(Jan. 23-24, 2012)
ICTs for climate change mitigation
Richard Labelle
Independent ICT4D Consultant
rlab@sympatico.ca
Twitter.com/rlabelle
Objectives
To present the case for ICTs to mitigate
climate change with a focus on the
developing world
To identify opportunities
To discuss strategic options going forward
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Four noteworthy trends …
1.
The (continued) rise of the humans
−
2.
…. rise of demand
─
3.
4.
Increases in people, wealth and intellectual
resources (brain power), leading to a ….
Increased demand for energy, food & natural
resources resulting in accelerated ….
… increasing climate change &
environmental impacts
… the rise of the machines (ICTs).
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Global change & climate (1)
Climate change is a real threat
Fossil fuel emissions tracking
surface warming – the priority
Emissions from land use growing
more slowly
C sinks in ocean and on land are at risk
Earth processes at risk
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World primary energy demand
by IEA scenario
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IEA. 2011. World Energy Outlook 2011. IEA/OECD, Paris. 666 pp.
Predicted global energy use in CMO
under 4 different scenarios
Crane, H.D., E. M. Kinderman & R. Malhotra. 2010. A cubic mile of oil. Realities and options for averting the looming global energy crisis.
Oxford University Press, New York, 297 pp. http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195325546/?view=usa
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Energy related CO2 emissions
by IEA scenario
7
IEA. 2011. World Energy Outlook 2011. IEA/OECD, Paris. 666 pp.
IPCC Projections of surface warming as a
result of increasing GHG emissions
[IPCC.
2007. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC. Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K. and Reisinger, A. (Eds.). IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland.
pp 104. http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessment_report_synthesis_report.htm
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Proportion of energy expressed in CMO from
different primary sources (2006 data)
Crane, H.D., E. M. Kinderman & R. Malhotra. 2010. A cubic mile of oil. Realities and options for averting the looming global energy crisis.
Oxford University Press, New York, 297 pp. http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195325546/?view=usa
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Havana, Cuba, 8-9 February 2011
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The past contribution of energy efficiency
Segar, C. 2009. International energy co-operation and global energy security. International Energy Agency (IEA). Session on “Ensuring the
sustainability of energy supply chain”, Conference on Strengthening Energy Security in the OSCE area, Bratislava, 6 – 7 July 2009.
PowerPoint presentation. http://www.osce.org/documents/eea/2009/07/38666_en.pdf
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Energy efficiency will have major role to
play in achieving low C future (IEA)
IEA. 2010. World Energy Outlook 2010. N. Tanaka, Executive Director, IEA, Beijing, 17 Nov. 2010. PowerPoint presentation. 35 slides.
http://www.energy.eu/publications/weo_2010-China.pdf
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Mitigation opportunities
1.
Reducing GHG emissions from all stages
of the ICT life cycle
•
2.
Making greater using ICTs to mitigate
vegetation related emissions
•
3.
and especially during their production, use
and disposal
through the greater use of ICT based earth
observation and management systems and
networks
Encouraging the development and
adoption of ICT based enabling
technologies
•
to reduce GHG emissions.
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ICTs enhance efficiency & facilitate
conservation by (1):
Process efficiency
Doing things fast
Use less energy  emit less C
Connecting everything & everyone:
Instrumenting objects and places around us:
The Internet of Things
Empowering people to act
Measuring everything (& everyone!):
The Internet of Things
More info on energy use
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ICTs enhance efficiency & facilitate
conservation by (2):
Controlling everything
Smart controls
Connect & control all motors & energy
consumption (embedded controls)
More options to reduce consumption:
smart motors, lighting, grid, buildings,
logistics /transport & cities
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The negative impact of ICTs
on GHG emissions
Energy consumption from using ICTs
About 2-3 % of total emissions, growing
to 6 %
Same as aviation industry
PCs & peripherals
Telecoms infrastructure
Data centres
ICT use is increasing and so are GHG
emissions from ICTs
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The enabling effect of ICTs
(GeSI : Global e-Sustainability Initiative)
The Climate group and GeSI. 2008. Smart 2020: Enabling the low carbon economy in the information age. 87 pp.
http://www.smart2020.org/
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The use of ICTs by
the Green Belt Movement (Kenya)
GIS @ GBM
GBM uses:
– Satellite data to identify areas of forest loss where urgent
reforestation or tree planting should be carried out.
– GIS and Remote Sensing for identification of the location,
delineate the extent of specific potential community-based
tree planting project sites.
– Field measurements to estimate baseline biomass and
carbon stocks for the community tree planting project sites
– Mapping and field based-monitoring using GIS to ensure
high survival of the planted trees
– Web-based mapping application for reporting of project
to the
Havana,progress
Cuba, 8-9 February
2011management and project partners
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ICTs & related trends & innovations
(1)
Digitization & dematerialization
Microprocessors
ARM vs Intel
Handhelds vs desk/lap tops
Internet diffusion
IPv6
Broadband
Cloud computing
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A sample telepresence session
[
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ICTs & related trends &
innovations (2)
Nanotechnology & micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
Wireless & mobile device uptake
Web 2.0 & 3.0
Agenda 21 redux: Everyone is a user
and provider of content (information)
Innovations in display technology
Gorilla glass, Dragontrail, etc. 
massive increase in display surface area
Screens everywhere
Havana, Cuba, 8-9 February 2011
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ICT & related trends & innovations(3)
The Internet of Things (IOT)
Everything and everywhere connected
Sensor technology
Sensor networks
Social networking
Improved & greener batteries
GIS & visualization technologies such
as building information modeling
(BIM)
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Machine to machine (M2M)
communications – a WSN variant
Beacham Research. 2009. M2M world of connected services. The Internet of Things. http://www.beechamresearch.com/Downloads.aspx .
Beecham`s Sector Map shows segmentation of M2M Market in new semi-circular format, including 9 key Service Sectors, key Applications
Groups within Sectors, and examples of Connected Devices within each Sector. Overall, Beecham Research tracks over 300 different device
types.
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ICTs for earth observation
Remote sensing:
Disaster risk reduction (flooding, etc.)
Generates massive amounts of data
Data available through Cloud / Grid
(GEOSS, etc.)
Wireless sensor networks
The Internet of Things
Connected smart sensors gathering data
at earth’s surface (& below!)
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How to measure ICT impacts – the
need for standards
ITU working on standards for
environmental impact assessment
(EIA) of ICTs
Telecommunication Standardization
Advisory Group (TSAG)
ITU Study Group 5 (SG-5)
Standards for measuring impact of ICTs
Universal power adapter and charger
solution for mobile terminals and other
ICT devices
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The positive impact of ICTs
on GHG emissions
ICT enabling effects
ICTs can save 5 times as much C as
they consume – but likely much more
Essential for enhanced earth
observation
In poorer countries and areas:
Enhance reach of services
Reduce cost of service delivery
Decreased energy use for accessing services
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Strategy going forward (1)
Awareness promotion:
Build the knowledge base
Best practice analysis and documentation
Case studies
Stakeholder consultations and partnership
making
Identify key stakeholders and potential
beneficiaries
Municipal governments, environmental groups,
professional associations, the private sector,
consumer groups, etc.
Consult with experts in the energy as well as
the architecture, engineering and construction27
(AEC) communities
Strategy going forward (2)
Stakeholder consultations and partnership
development
Identify key stakeholders and potential
beneficiaries
Municipal governments, environmental groups,
professional associations, the private sector,
consumer groups, etc.
Consult with experts in the energy as well as
the architecture, engineering and construction
(AEC) communities
Establish partnerships with like minded groups
and organizations such as the AEC and energy
communities, etc.
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Strategy going forward (3)
Research priorities
Work with the energy sector and
planners to develop the assessment
tools and practices:
Energy audits which include smart tech
audits
Rapid smart tech audit technologies:
Autodesk
Develop rapid assessment technologies such
as the e-Environment Readiness Index
(EERI) and test and improve using pilots
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Strategy going forward (4)
Research priorities …
Streamlining the use of BIM in building
and town design and planning
Research on the use of BIM for rural
planning and development, building with
natural materials, passive energy buildings,
zero and positive energy buildings, etc.
BIM for low cost urban and rural housing
Tech transfer is costly, so what are
benefit / costs? They could be
significant: do the research
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Strategy going forward (5)
Research priorities …
Undertake rapid assessments such as
those proposed by the use of tools such
as the e-Environment Readiness Index
(EERI)
Look at the use of renewables for
powering ICT use off grid and ICT use
for Green Growth in developing
countries
Climate Innovation Center (CICs) for
introducing ICT-based green technologies
(InfoDev)
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Strategy going forward (6)
Training:
Train architects and planners on BIM as
we trained people for network
engineering (Cisco Academies).
Look at BIM for rural development
Train energy audit specialists, including
building audit & retrofit specialists
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Strategy going forward (6)
Key policy issue
Energy subsidies.
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Related info (1)
Much of this presentation can be found in
the ITU publication by Richard Labelle:
“m-environment – ICTs for abating climate
change and promoting Green Growth and
sustainable development” which will be
available online from the ITU site in the
coming weeks of 2012.
The report will be published online by ITU and
includes detailed references supporting all
points made above.
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Related info (2)
A training program on ICTs for abating
climate change and promoting Green
Growth and sustainable development
To be offered by the UN APCICT (Asia Pacific
centre for ICT Training) in Korea
As part of the Academy for ICT Essentials for
Government Leaders
http://www.unapcict.org/academy
Starting Feb.22, 2011
Will be published online: detailed report, ,
accompanying PPTs
Detailed PPTs have been prepared and were
used in part for this presentation.
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Working groups
What are priorities for developing
countries?
What are key issues influencing the
use of ICTs for mitigation in your
countries?
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Thank you!
Richard Labelle
rlabtag@gmail.com
rlab@sympatico.ca
Twitter.com/rlabelle
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