Climate entrepreneurs key to low carbon future

Two "old" reports in a new context....

1. Swedish report "12 Climate Entrepreneurs"

2. India report "Indian companies with solutions that the world needs"

This press release was sent out today:

30 Mar 2009
Bonn, Germany: WWF urges delegates at the ongoing UN climate talks in Bonn to find ways to support a new class of climate entrepreneurs as the main drivers for a future low carbon economy.

New research by the global conservation organization shows that innovative technologies available today can result in emission cuts of hundreds of millions of tons through rapid growth.

The two new WWF reports – including 17 case studies from developed economies such as Sweden and emerging markets such as India - show what works and what doesn’t in bringing the power of innovation to bear on the need to rapidly face the challenge of climate change.

“There is immense potential for both climate and business success in technology innovations coming forward – what we need to do is to remove obstacles to successful commercialization and wide diffusion that innovative entrepreneurs and companies are faced with,” said Stefan Henningsson, Director of the Climate Change Programme at WWF Sweden.

New ways of bringing natural light into large buildings developed 8 years ago by a Swedish construction consultant in collaboration with an innovator could save an estimated 220 million tons of CO2 equivalent in emissions per year, as well as delivering huge savings in electricity bills.

In another example, systems for large-scale production and distribution of district cooling, developed by one Swedish innovator, are more efficient than traditional cooling technology. A 25% expansion in the share of district cooling on the European cooling market alone would cut CO2 emissions by up to 50 million tons each year.

In India, a company setting out to provide LED-based solar powered lighting to the rural poor is tackling sustainable and climate friendly development on two fronts. This and other examples show how sustainable business and social entrepreneurship can shape future economic growth.

“The Indian companies featured in the WWF report reflect the incredible potential that lie in the alignment of sustainable development needs and business value in developing countries – and the global solutions they can provide,” said Henningsson.

The Swedish case studies also identified the major obstacle to the development and deployment of promising new technologies at scale: continued high levels of direct and indirect support for incremental improvement of existing outmoded production methods in larger companies.

“In planning policy and public investment there is a tendency to consult mainly with the big players in business and industry who generally favour traditional solutions,” said Henningsson. “But often traditional solutions and improving old methods simply are not good enough to ensure the market transformations and emission reductions we need.

“Even systems which don’t discriminate against new ideas are insufficient. Let’s embrace systems that actively seek them out.”

While a co-ordinated focus at high government levels on facing the climate change challenge would be a welcome first step to improve the environment for innovations, WWF is also proposing the creation of “one stop shops” for climate entrepreneurs, where outstanding ideas could be linked to public and private resources for research, financing, commercialization and export.

At the international level, WWF is calling for Technology Action Programmes to be established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to speed up the development and demonstration of new technologies and the better diffusion of existing sustainable technologies.

“Majority of the ideas are already out there and some of these come from developing countries and others from industrialised countries. “What we lack are sufficiently efficient ways of moving from ideas to working solutions past the gaps and rigidities in our systems.”

The low carbon work with Novozymes is now launched

Really look forward to this. Download the folder here and below is the press release:

Search on for best climate biosolutions

WWF points out that the over-exploitation of fossil fuels - such as coal, gas and oil - is putting the whole of humanity under threat from climate change.

25 Mar 2009
Global environment organization WWF and leading enzyme biotechnology company Novozymes today announced an initiative which will map how and where low carbon biosolutions can eliminate the first strategic billion tonnes of CO2.

“Low carbon biotech solutions are a good example of hidden or invisible climate solutions that are all around us already today but are easily overlooked by policymakers, investors and companies,” said Kim Carstensen, Director of WWF’s Global Climate Initiative.

The biotechnology industry is an important part of the climate solutions the world is in need of because the emissions reductions secured by biotech solutions are factors of magnitude greater than the emissions involved in creating them. Enzymes, for instance, save large amounts of energy when applied to the production of a variety of every day products, such as paper, washing powder and bioethanol.

Last year, Novozymes emitted about one million tonnes of CO2 eq in the production of raw materials and enzymes but helped eliminate around 28 million tonnes of CO2 eq emissions over enzyme free production.

“What we offer our customers is to produce more from less input, use less energy in their processes and generate less waste,” said Steen Riisgaard, CEO of Novozymes.

“Clearly, biotechnology is therefore an important route to securing big emissions cuts while creating succesful business models.”

With only a small portion of the potential of biotech so far realized, the joint Biosolutions Initiative – Eliminating the first billion tonnes of CO2 will seek out key and priority areas where biotechnology solutions can be applied to achieve emissions cuts.

Low carbon winners of future need support now

The partnership will also engage in dialogue with central policy makers and create low carbon business partnerships to ensure that low carbon bio tech solutions become an integrated part of all major climate projects and initiatives.

“So far, the main effort to combat climate change has focused on reducing the negative impact of the big emmitters,” said Carstensen. “While important, this neither secures all the reductions needed nor does it provide a sustainable economic model for creating jobs, growth and a prosperous society.”

The project aims to contribute to accelerating and exploring the further potential of biotechnology as a crucial part of overall climate solutions.

“Fighting climate change is also about innovation and finding smarter ways to do things, and biotechnology helps us do just that,” said Carstensen.

The project will also identify how to best deploy emerging bio-solutions .

In order to unlock the full potential of biotechnology, policy makers need to integrate low carbon biotech solutions as part of all major climate strategies," said Riisgaard.

"Together with WWF we want to inspire decision makers in building low carbon solutions for our society."

PRESS RELEASE : WWF STUDIES FIND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES CLIMATE IMPACTS, COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS

Here is a press release for two reports at the same time. Will post both here later with some info...

PRESS RELEASE

WWF STUDIES FIND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES CLIMATE IMPACTS, COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS

Global climate policy can drive broad implementation of existing technologies
to achieve meaningful greenhouse gas reductions

WASHINGTON, DC, March 25, 2009 – World Wildlife Fund today released two new studies that underscore how existing information technology (IT) solutions can meet the demands of today’s corporations while also reducing the harmful CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change. As world leaders work this year to gain agreement on global strategies to combat the worsening climate crisis, policymakers and corporations are increasingly looking for solutions that reduce harmful emissions while creating jobs, saving money and driving innovation.

“IT can be a significant driver of greenhouse gas reductions, but we need strong global climate policy to ensure these solutions are implemented at the speed and scale necessary to make a difference,” said Dennis Pamlin, a WWF Policy Advisor and co-author of the reports. “This research tells us that if relatively simple measures are implemented globally, we can achieve annual emissions reductions equal to at least half of current U.S. total annual emissions by 2050. But we must start to walk in the right direction now, before it’s too late.”

According to the reports, which were independently authored by WWF together with leading academic experts and with funding support from HP and Microsoft, collaboration is fundamental. Business and policy makers can deliver a low carbon future, but they must work together to achieve meaningful results.

For example, the first report, “Virtual Meetings and Climate Innovation in the 21st Century”, highlights the significant impact employee travel makes on a company’s total carbon footprint – accounting for 50% or more among non-manufacturing companies. Virtual meetings are an existing alternative that can increase the efficiency of business while reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Creating a global network of more than 4,000 high quality videoconferencing studios in cities around the world would help build a new infrastructure for the 21st century and would cost less than one and a half airplanes,” Pamlin noted.

The second report, “From Workplace to Anyplace”, highlights opportunities to employ existing technologies that enable one or more individuals to work or collaborate remotely. This would create new efficiencies and cut emissions created by daily commuting or business air travel.

In the report’s “smart world” scenario, where policies and IT industry users contribute to a climate smart future, roughly one billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided through tele-work in year 2030–an amount equivalent to the total current annual carbon dioxide emissions from the United Kingdom and Italy combined. By the year 2050, tele-work could reduce almost 3.5 billion tons of emissions–equivalent to more than half of the United States’ current CO2 emissions.

The report also says that developed countries may deliver the majority of greenhouse gas emissions with increased tele-working in the short term, but developing countries can deliver the bulk of the reductions in the long term.

As part of this research, a carbon calculator for policymakers and businesses was developed and is available online at www.worldwildlife.org/carbonprojector.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The report, Virtual Meetings and Climate Innovation in the 21st Century, is available online at: www.worldwildlife.org/climate/videoconferencing

The report, From Workplace to Anyplace, is available online at:
www.worldwildlife.org/climate/teleworking

The reports have been peer-reviewed by scientists, economists and expert bodies, including WWF. The research was funded by both HP and Microsoft.

Vivian Reading and the low carbon ICT team at DG Infosoc: A 21st century climate hero

I don’t think that many expected Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, to become one of the leading global voices for innovative climate solutions two years ago. A little more than a year ago during the European Business Summit was the first time that I heard her publicly made it very clear that she saw ICT as an important part of the climate solution. Now during the ICT4EE: High Level Event on ICT for Energy Efficiency she delivered a speech that was really encouraging in terms of scope and focus.

It was a fascinating feeling to see the big ICT4EE banner at Charlemagne. A year ago the focus in the commission was still ICT as a ”problem” (The emissions from ICT) and the work related to the solutions that smart ICT solutions can provide was very marginal. In less than two years this has changed and Redding moved to the forefront, not only in EU but globally when it comes to an innovation based solutions agenda.

The language on the page for ICT4EE is happy reading of anyone that believe in a innovation and solution agenda.

”The Commission has recognized that ICTs and ICT-based innovations may provide one of the potentially most cost-effective means to achieve the 2020 targets. We aim at creating a policy framework that will allow the energy-saving potential of ICTs to be widely recognized and exploited.”

Let’s hope that Vivian and her team will deliver recommendations that will ensure that the words and visions that turn into concrete action.

Below are my bullet point recommendations for the commissions that I presented in my keynote during the ICT4EE event:

1. Clear responsibility
- Important to be able to track and measure what is happening and without clear responsibility (that include targets) ICT for energy efficiency will only be an idea.

2. Separate the 2% from the 98% even more
- Ensure focus and right tools. It is hard to support innovation and large parts of the ICT industry still not get it (during the initial keynote presentation it was sad to hear a business representative talk about smaller boxes for mobile phones and energy efficient base stations. Not only did it sound like a sale pitch it also showed that he did not understand what the focus now is. Business needs to ensure that they bring the representatives that understand the issue, and they exist in all companies so it should not be a problem. I can also recommend the joint WWF-Gartner assessment as guide to ensure that leading companies are given space)

3. Frame the recommendation within the concepts of “low- and high carbon feedback” or “20th century and 21st century infrastructure”
- Look beyond the direct reductions and ensure the right direction. ICT can help accelerate reduction by triggering further investments in smart solutions that help reduce emissions further. Too much money is invested in infrastructure that is not really delivering anything else but a lock-in into a 20th century resource intensive society that block innovation.

4. Track support and subsidies
- No need for subsidies, but urgent need for technology neutral solutions. Few low carbon ICT solutions need any subsidies, but they need rules that are technology neutral and sometime get transition support as we move from a 20th century infrastructure (with built in subsidies /support for old energy intensive solutions) to a 21st century smart infrastructure (with built in subsidies/support for energy efficient solutions). Support for smart grid solutions that encourage increased decentralised energy production and buildings that are net producers of energy is one example of an important measure. To encourage transparency it would be good with a tool that can track support and subsidies in 20th or 21st century infrastructure.

5. Include targets and special support for solutions that reduce CO2 emissions with 90% or more/ are 100 times better or more
- The more I think about it the more important I think that this policy is. I see so many initiatives (and organisations) that ignore innovation and solutions that really can make a difference as they focus on incremental improvements in existing systems. Very seldom are the really sustainable solutions discussed and there are many reasons for that (difficult to calculate the CO2 savings when significant shifts happens, limits in current economic models, political structures mirrors existing old business structures not tomorrows businesses, etc). In order to allow these solutions space to develop and understand the needs better targets and support is needed.

6. Shift from product to service
- All major policies and public procurement (EU first to require meeting agencies?) The commission and the member states must change their thinking from products to services both in policy development (include ICT solutions in infrastructure planning) and in key instruments (use public procurement to put pressure).

7. A Global perspective
- Solutions should be developed that can be used around the world, especially emerging markets like China and India. The solutions should also be developed together with other governments and companies outside EU. Targets for export and import are needed as well as targets for employment (not just in one country or region, but globally), but even more important is target for productivity.

It is obviously time to take the next step in the WWF-ETNO project "Saving the climate @ the speed of light"... Now we need implementation @ the speed of light, and we need more companies and stakeholders onboard....

The commission launch a Low carbon IT communication

The communication from the commission “on mobilising Information and Communication Technologies to facilitate the transition to an energy-efficient, low-carbon economy” is one of the most sophisticated low carbon documents that I have seen from the commission, ever. It is really a significant step towards a serious strategy that can deliver more than incremental improvements. Obviously it has a number of shortcomings, but after all the internal compromises that these documents must go through it feels like a reasonable coherent document with a lot of potential.

Obviously the thing that really matters is the recommendation due in the second half of 2009 that ”will set out tasks, targets and timelines, for industry stakeholders and Member States to accelerate progress towards these ends.”

It is worth noting that compared to many other ICT strategies, including almost all member states, this sets a new standard with sucha clear focus on the 98% and the role of ICT as an enabler. Congratulation to those involved.

Taking a step back and look at the development I can’t help but note that this is very far from the reactions I got when I published the book ”Saving the planet at the speed of light” almost 10 years ago. Even when Katalin Szomolanyi and I wrote the roadmap for EU in 2006 ”Saving the climate at the speed of light” in the joint WWF-ETNO project the reaction and support from the commission was quite vague. Now it finally looks as if things could take off.

There is a lot to like in this. Below the key parts [The full PDF can be downloaded here]

1. Three clear stands of work moving forward
FIRST “The ICT sectors own footprint”: not the most important, but must dealt with so good to include (and not spend a lot of time on).

SECOND “working partnerships between the ICT sector and other major energy-using
Sectors”: Here it would be good to develop a list with priority areas. It is especially important to ensure that a service perspective is guiding the actions and not a focus on existing sectors. While ICT can play a significant role in relation to transport and buildings, it is not just the car industry and the building industry where collaboration is needed. Flexiwork/telewok can help reduce Co2 emissions from both the transport and building industry, but these sectors will not drive this development. Especially the car industry is important to challenge, as they so far have been reluctant to move from a product to a service perspective.

THIRD “Member States should be called upon to enable the EU-wide roll-out of ICT tools
likely to trigger a shift in the behaviour of consumers, businesses and communities and at
the same time drive demand for innovative ICT solutions to optimise the energy
performance of their own operations.” This is probably the most interesting area and it is here we could see groundbreaking initiatives in m-government, m-health, m-education, m-business, etc. This would be especially interesting if we see new tools beyond current sectors that encourage a high quality resource efficient lifestyle and support new start-up companies that provide these kinds of innovative solutions.

A good division and it is important to keep them apart. The second and third will be a challenge, but I’m sure all of us working with this are willing to support if there is an opportunity.

2. Clear focus on buildings and transport (two areas where ICT can make a real difference)
There is a tendency in the communication to look at the incremental improvements (where a building can be more efficient and where logistics can be improved). These are important, but it is important to move beyond current sectors. If not we will only see a few smart meters and some logistic initiatives. These kinds of solutions can actually result in increased emissions over time as they don’t help us move beyond our current inefficient infrastructure.

3. A challenge to the ICT industry to develop methodologies that can measure the benefits.
It is just to agree with the commission:
”In the absence of a means by which consumers, whether individuals, businesses or public
administrations, can verify and compare potential energy-saving strategies offered by ICTs
and their cost effectiveness, the threat that so-called greenwashing will take market share
from solutions that offer legitimate benefits is very real.”

This is a real challenge to those companies that are really serious. But also for the initiatives/projects that are developing reporting standards. In both cases the support for a scientific methodology that can calculate the positive contributions from ICT have been less positive than it should… Hopefully this will change.

4. “Urban planning strategies incorporating end 2010 energy efficiency and carbon emissions”
This could become one of the most important part for EU, but only if a global and transformative perspective (that look beyond incremental improvements) can be included and where solutions are encouraged that can be exported/used in other parts of the world (especially the emerging markets).

5. Software innovations
I’m very happy to see that the commission includes a discussion about software companies writing that “There are roughly half a million software businesses in the EU. Typically employing 3 to 7 persons, these businesses have one of the highest levels of productivity and profitability of all sectors of the economy”. I have suggested an annual competition where ”code of the year” was given a prize. I think there is a huge untapped potential in software companies and look forward to more concrete initiatives in this area.

+++
A few things could improve below is a list of areas that I hope we will see in the recommendations, most of these already exist in the communication but needs to be clarified. Especially in order to ensure that this process end up in the same innovation hostile straightjacket that so often seem to be the end result in well intended processes in Europe. Some of these have been developed in more details earlier, see for example the following document that I wrote for WWF together with Ewa Thorslund from the association of Swedish IT companies for the Swedish government:

1. Clear responsibility
Too often new initiatives fall flat, as they don’t fit in existing structures. Many countries have conducted studies and looked into the potential of ICT as an enabler. Then when it comes to implementation nothing (or very very little) happens. The commission must not make this mistake.

2. Separate the 2% from the 98% even more
The distinction between Green IT/2%/IT’s own emissions and Greening with IT/98%/IT’s ability to help reduce the emissions in society is still not clear enough and
the enabling capacity of ICT is not dealt with in a systematic way. The focus on transport and buildings is good, but a strategy must go further to ensure that the really innovative solutions are allowed to get support. It is not a significant problem for this communication, but for a strategy it is very important to separate the two so that no confusion can emerge regarding targets and resources.

3. Frame the recommendation within the concepts of “low- and high carbon feedback” or “20th century and 21st century infrastructure”
One of the major challenges with ICT is that it can deliver significant short-term reductions that can lock us in a high carbon infrastructure unless the feedback from the investments results in further reductions. Logistic improvements can make single vehicles a lot more efficient, but the result is often that the total amount of vehicles increases. Increased flexiwork can result in dramatic reduction of commuting and office space, but can also result in more flying.

Even more interesting is that many ICT investments can trigger further reductions, but this will only happen if a supporting framework exists. Keep your eyes open as a new report will come next week that describe this in detail for virtual meeting and teleworking. It will be posted here as soon as it is public.

4. Global perspective
The commission focus is obviously EU, but the need for smart solutions is global, and the need to ensure economy of scale and accelerated reductions of CO2 emissions require us to think global and to develop global strategies. Many of the leading ICT companies also work global

5. Trade/innovation perspective
I would like to see a chapter that include a concrete strategy to encourage trade (export and import of low carbon ICT solutions)

Let’s hope that communication can translate into concrete action.

PS
I hope that Sweden can move to the forefront in this area and support this work during the presidency and the climate meeting in Copenhagen where IT and other solution sectors could be supported to move to the front of the discussion.