Towards sustainable ICT

Michela Meo,A Tartaglia,M Clerico

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/201911900016

Abstract

While information and communication technologies (ICT) can play a crucial role in tackling issues related to sustainability, and reducing resource consumption in every sector, they also consume huge amounts of energy, andthis, combined with the predicted rapid growth of demand for communication services, is expected to make the whole sector more and more energy-hungry in the coming years. The sustainability of ICT itself is also becoming an urgent challenge. Actions can be taken in several directions: i) introducing a massive and pervasive use of renewable energy sources, a step that requires the design of communication services to be revised; ii) enforcing rules and policies that induce the provisioning of sustainable services and promote the adoption of proper attitudes; and iii) involving the users who will become conscious consumers and participate in crowdsourcing projects tomonitor consumption and foster energy-aware behaviours.

Highlights

Digita isati a ws the substituti f res urce de a di g activities with c rresp di g ight e versi s that reduce the eed t ve g ds a d pe p e by vi g bits a uch ess de a di g eff rt This is the case i e ear i g te ew r i g de ateria isati
play a crucial role in tackling issues related to sustainability
Actions can be taken in several directions

Summary

ICT as a set of enabling technologies

Digita isati a ws the substituti f res urce de a di g activities with c rresp di g ight e versi s that reduce the eed t ve g ds a d pe p e by vi g bits a uch ess de a di g eff rt This is the case i e ear i g te ew r i g de ateria isati. The basis f these p ssibi ities is the i credib e i crease i c puti g st rage a d tra s issi capacity The fa us re's aw first f r u ated i the 1960s a d the updated states that the u ber f tra sist rs per chip (i e the u ber f e e e tary u its f i f r ati st rage a d c putati that ca fit i t a s a chip) wi d ub e every 18 ths We carry t day i the s artph e i ur p c et the c putati a p wer that was eeded t reach the i the ate 1960s Si i ar y tra s issi capacity has gr w fr the rder f the Gbit s f c pper tech gy t te s f Tbit s (10 12 bit s) usi g ptica fibre cab e tech gy

ICT sustainability

Policies and rules

Users in the loop