Is there low-carbon IT hope in Norway?

Participated in a seminar the Mondag Morgon arranged in Holmenkollen, Oslo. One of the increasing number of conferences/seminars/workshops with a focus on the opportunities that a low carbon economy provides. A pretty traditional setting, but maybe some action could come out from meetings like this. Soon I need to get my criteria for participating in events like these in place (see earlier blog about pledges, web-link possibilities and measurable outcomes as possible criteria). Too many events with too much talk and too little action.

After the seminar I participated at a meeting with Ministry of Government Administration and Reform. This was an interesting meeting and we discussed the challenges to deliver concrete results when results require collaboration outside traditional “boxes”. Two areas where discussed. 1. The challenge to ensure that governments have a responsible person for Low Carbon innovation/IT-solutions. 2. The need for targets that make it possible to follow-up progress

It would be great if Norway could take the lead and be the first country in the world, as far as I know, that would do two things (maybe with the support of WWF): First, review the legislation from a low carbon development perspective and identify possible changes that could support sustainable innovation. Second, explore possibilities to use public procurement to support low carbon IT solutions.

Joint work with Ericsson

Sunday the 8^th of June I participated at Ericsson’s GMC where I did a presentation and Carl Henrik Svanberg, the CEO of Ericsson, and I announced the joint project between WWF and Ericsson in two parts (one internal and one external).

1. External project to position Ericsson as a winner in a low carbon economy (ICT as a provider of Climate Change Solutions). The project will quantify and achieve emissions reductions through the use of ICT solutions. It will show how providers of ICT solutions can play a leading role in providing services that allow societies to increase welfare and reduce energy use at the same time.

2. Internal emission reductions, Ericsson will together with WWF to set targets for the internal emissions and work to develop standard forms for reporting in this area. This would include both the positive and negative contribution to CO₂-emisisons.

After a six years of discussions it is great to see that we finally found a way to move forward together.

Joint work with Ericsson

Sunday the 8^th of June I participated at Ericsson’s GMC where I did a presentation and Carl Henrik Svanberg, the CEO of Ericsson, and I announced the joint project between WWF and Ericsson in two parts (one internal and one external).

1. External project to position Ericsson as a winner in a low carbon economy (ICT as a provider of Climate Change Solutions). The project will quantify and achieve emissions reductions through the use of ICT solutions. It will show how providers of ICT solutions can play a leading role in providing services that allow societies to increase welfare and reduce energy use at the same time.

2. Internal emission reductions, Ericsson will together with WWF to set targets for the internal emissions and work to develop standard forms for reporting in this area. This would include both the positive and negative contribution to CO₂-emisisons.

After a six years of discussions it is great to see that we finally found a way to move forward together.

First global IT study about Climate -See how the first billion tonnes of CO2 reductions can be achieved

After almost one year of intensive work the first global IT study about IT's potential to help reduce CO2 emissions is finally ready.

You now have the opportunity to join the work to deliver the first billion tonnes of CO2 reductions with IT solutions. The brand new WWF report “Outline for the first global IT strategy for CO2 reductions: a billion tonnes of CO2 reductions and beyond” is just released and we will launch a number of projects in the near future.

You can download the 9 MB document with full illustrations here.

You can also download a smaller “print friendly” 2.3MB document here.

The report is the final Thought Leadership Paper in a series to highlight the potential for IT to reduce CO2 emissions through transformative change, building in particular on the joint HP/WWF initiative “ICT Innovation as a Driver of Climate Change Solutions”.

Ten strategic IT solutions that together reduce one billion tonnes of CO2 emissions as well as hold the potential to further help accelerate reductions are presented and discussed. The potential is obviously much bigger, but during the work it became evident that looking for the maximum amount of short-term reductions would result in a counterproductive situation that fails to include the even larger potential of IT solutions – the potential to deliver transformative change in society (i.e change in the very infrastructure that supports working, living, moving and eating).

The IT solutions should be implemented under the right circumstances to help reduce direct CO2 emissions as well as support accelerated reductions due to “low-carbon feedback”. This means that we should focus on solutions that not only reduce CO2 directly when they are used, but also strengthen structures that support further emission reductions. IT solutions could, however, also contribute to “high-carbon feedback”, which would have the opposite effect and strengthen structures that support increased emissions. Caution is necessary as the positive or negative outcome depends on how a solution is implemented.

We now look forward to implementation to ensure IT’s positive contributions and achieve the reductions needed to solve the climate challenge.

Please visit www.panda.org/ict to read more. There you will also find the longer academic paper that provided the background for the ten selected solutions.

First global IT study about Climate -See how the first billion tonnes of CO2 reductions can be achieved

After almost one year of intensive work the first global IT study about IT's potential to help reduce CO2 emissions is finally ready.

You now have the opportunity to join the work to deliver the first billion tonnes of CO2 reductions with IT solutions. The brand new WWF report “Outline for the first global IT strategy for CO2 reductions: a billion tonnes of CO2 reductions and beyond” is just released and we will launch a number of projects in the near future.

You can download the 9 MB document with full illustrations here.

You can also download a smaller “print friendly” 2.3MB document here.

The report is the final Thought Leadership Paper in a series to highlight the potential for IT to reduce CO2 emissions through transformative change, building in particular on the joint HP/WWF initiative “ICT Innovation as a Driver of Climate Change Solutions”.

Ten strategic IT solutions that together reduce one billion tonnes of CO2 emissions as well as hold the potential to further help accelerate reductions are presented and discussed. The potential is obviously much bigger, but during the work it became evident that looking for the maximum amount of short-term reductions would result in a counterproductive situation that fails to include the even larger potential of IT solutions – the potential to deliver transformative change in society (i.e change in the very infrastructure that supports working, living, moving and eating).

The IT solutions should be implemented under the right circumstances to help reduce direct CO2 emissions as well as support accelerated reductions due to “low-carbon feedback”. This means that we should focus on solutions that not only reduce CO2 directly when they are used, but also strengthen structures that support further emission reductions. IT solutions could, however, also contribute to “high-carbon feedback”, which would have the opposite effect and strengthen structures that support increased emissions. Caution is necessary as the positive or negative outcome depends on how a solution is implemented.

We now look forward to implementation to ensure IT’s positive contributions and achieve the reductions needed to solve the climate challenge.

Please visit www.panda.org/ict to read more. There you will also find the longer academic paper that provided the background for the ten selected solutions.