Measuring the Emissions & Energy Footprint of the ICT Sector

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector stands at a critical crossroads. While driving global digital transformation and enabling connectivity, the sector also contributes significantly to climate change. Expanding internet access and helping communities use digital tools productively can yield substantial development benefits, such as enhancing resilience to climate change through improved access to information and services. However, despite its rapid growth, 2.6 billion people worldwide remain offline. Additionally, the sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rival those of the aviation industry, and its energy demands place considerable strain on global resources. Addressing the dual challenge of closing the connectivity gap while leveraging digital technologies for climate action in an environmentally sustainable way is now more urgent than ever.

In many countries, data on the ICT sector’s GHG emissions and energy consumption is limited, making accurate climate impact evaluations difficult. Current assessments often rely on global estimations, which are not granular enough to guide effective national policies. Without precise data, policymakers face significant hurdles in crafting informed strategies to reduce the ICT sector’s emissions and manage its energy demands effectively.

This joint report, produced by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Bank, contributes to the Green Digital Action at COP28 and beyond by addressing this data gap. The report offers detailed GHG emissions and energy consumption data for the ICT sector, focusing specifically on telecommunications and data centers. It compiles country-level emissions data from publicly accessible sources, particularly within the telecommunications operators of the thirty highest-emitting countries.

The report not only sheds light on the sector’s emissions and energy usage patterns but also highlights their implications for global climate action. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of making such data readily available across all countries to inform better policy decisions and promote a greener, more sustainable ICT sector.

Source:

https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/ind/d-ind-clim-2023-01-pdf-e.pdf