EU Could Cut CO2 with More Net, Telecom Use - Report
Date: 30-Jan-07
Country: BELGIUM
But the EU's executive Commission has to take the lead, through a policy or a campaign, to convince businesses of the environmental benefits, said the report jointly written by environmental group WWF and telecoms operator association ETNO.
"The strategic use of ICT (information and communication technology) can contribute significantly to energy efficiency, sustainable economic growth as well as job creation," the report said. "A number of things are needed to make this happen. A high level decision is necessary in the European Commission."
The Commission this month set ambitious goals to cut EU emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 by at least 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, perhaps even by 30 percent if other developed nations joined in.
CO2 emissions in the EU, not including new members Bulgaria and Romania, in 2004 amounted to 4.12 billion tonnes, according to the European Environment Agency.
The report said emissions could be cut through video conferencing which would replace travel to meetings, increasing flexiwork where employees work from home, and popularising online billing and taxation, avoiding truckloads of paper arriving at people's homes.
ETNO and WWF said this was the first time such figures were at hand and that they should serve to instigate a change, while the fast spread of technologies such as broadband meant those ideas could now be implemented.
"Before, we were talking about these things. But we were working in labs. Technology has matured," WWF global policy adviser Dennis Pamlin said.