ICT Solutions for 21st Century Sustainable Living

The CSCP has worked with the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) to review the potential benefits of ICT solutions for broader society – including more sustainable lifestyles. The #SMARTer2030 report, launched on 9 June 2015, shows that information and communication technology (ICT) has the potential to enable a 20% reduction of global CO2e emissions by 2030, hold emissions at 2015 levels and effectively decouple economic growth from emissions growth while delivering significant benefits to society.

 

As ICT has become faster, cheaper and more accessible globally, project results highlight its potential to generate powerful environmental, economic and social benefits beyond what has envisioned as recently as two years ago through a comparable study. Findings show an ICT-enabled world that is cleaner, healthier and more prosperous, with greater opportunities for individuals everywhere.  Download the report at: smarter2030.gesi.org

 

 

ICT-driven economic, environmental and social benefits – addressing hot spots

 

ICT is transforming all aspects of the economy, but our research has found that the following eight sectors will deliver the most significant ICT-enabled sustainability benefits to the global economy: mobility & logistics, manufacturing, food, buildings, energy, work & business, health and learning.

 

An assessment of these sectors indicates over $11 trillion in economic benefits per year by 2030, slightly greater than China’s expected annual GDP for 2015.

 

Further #SMARTer2030 ICT solutions can address key lifestyle hot spots in the areas of food, mobility, and housing.

 

·       ICT-enabling HOUSING solutions

Reduce energy use in the home and CO2 with SMARTer 2030 solutions

 

ICT is expected to play a key role in delivering zero-net energy houses through a combination of SMART building technologies, SMART grid technologies, connected energy efficient appliances and electronics, and increased use of mobile devices and sensors for the individual to control directly the use of energy in the home. Many of these solutions are already underway and could be proliferated to optimize sustainability benefits. 

 

·       ICT-enabling FOOD solutions

Reduce meat consumption and CO2 with SMARTer 2030 solutions

 

The SMARTer 2030 solutions of smart agriculture, smart buildings, e-commerce and e-health all contribute to the reduction of CO2 from food consumption. 

SMART ICT and e-services can help to address the CO2 of meat and dairy consumption by enabling shifts in food choices due to better health information via e-health tools.  Focused food choices via e-commerce, targeted to daily dietary intake targets, electronic best before food spoilage dates, and smart connected appliances that regulate the food that is already in the fridge. E-commerce also has the benefit of reducing conspicuous consumption as it tallies in real-time with effective immediate feedback mechanisms dietary calorie, material intensity and best before dates to avoid over-stockage and food waste.

 

·       ICT-enabling MOBILITY solutions 

Reduce car use and CO2 with SMARTer 2030 solutions

 

The SMARTer 2030 solutions of connected private transportation, traffic control & optimization, but also e-commerce, e-health, e-banking, e-learning and e-work all contribute to the reduction of CO2 from personal mobility with more efficient car use and reducing the necessity to use the car for daily errands.

 

 

Role of the CSCP in #SMARTer2030

 

The CSCP provided technical expertise and research to link ICT solutions to broader lifestyle benefits including visualization and communications. In particular, the CSCP designed playbooks to summarize and communicate results to policy makers, business leaders and consumers, as well as interactive video and infographic communications, downloadable from the SMARTer2030 website:

http://smarter2030.gesi.org