by jbs122609 e3 — December 28, 2009—The Climate Group, BT and the Digital Energy Solutions Campaign (DESC) recently launched SMART 2020: Pathways to Scale, a Web site that will track progress made by the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in tackling climate change.
Case studies already hosted on SMART2020.org show that progress has been made but there is much more to be done, say the organizers. The studies highlight winning strategies and make some key recommendations for the industry. The strategies include partnerships among different companies; cross-sector implementation; optimization, not only behavior change; and policies beyond a carbon price.
Recommendations coming out of the Pathways to Scale analysis say that what is needed to scale up “smart” solutions includes: real-time energy information for all stakeholders; policies to encourage 40% energy efficiency across sectors (appliances, buildings, transport); pilots with a focus on the urban level to test the application of new technologies; and a smart grid (from power generation to appliance) with comprehensive standards.
The opportunity for the global ICT industry to reduce global emissions by 15% in 2020, saving global businesses over 500 billion, was outlined in The Climate Group’s 2008 report, SMART 2020: Enabling the low carbon economy in the information age.
