ICTs, ITU and Climate Change

1. ICTs, ITU and Climate Change Arthur Levin, Chief, Operations and Planning Dept, TSB, ITU (ITU-T) Session 3: Hot Standardization Topics Fiji, 4 July 2011 The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the ITU or its Membership.

2. The Problem …climate change is happening…… …GHG emissions need to be reduced……

3. Climate Change Impacts in Fiji What the IPCC 4th Assessment Report has found: • Coastal erosion, water resources and human settlement on Pacific small islands will be at increasing risk with changes in temperature, rainfall and sea level rise. Accelerated coastal erosion, saline intrusion into freshwater sources and increased flooding from the sea may cause large effects on human settlements. Less rainfall coupled with accelerated sea level rise compound the threat on water resources. • Beach erosion is prevalent due to sea level rise and human clearing of mangroves (1960s-1990s) • It has been shown that port facilities would experience overtopping, damage to wharves and flooding of the hinterland if there were a 0.5 m rise in sea level combined with waves associated with a 1/50 year cyclone.

4. The Challenge in the Pacific • Impact of CC is costly even though Pacific Islands are not a major source of emissions • Total GHG emissions of Pacific Island countries is around 0.03% of global total • Typhoon/hurricane damage will increase by 10-26% for each 1 degree warming of sea • Half the population of island countries live with less than a mile of their coastlines; coral atolls no more than 3 meters above sea level • Impact of CC on marine environment, particularly on coral reefs, fisheries ad food security

5. Looking Ahead to COP-17 • COP-17: 28 November - 9 December 2011, Durban (South Africa) • Bonn, June 2011: Fiji calls international community for concrete legally binding commitments beyond 2012 (Kyoto Protocol) – Mr. Peceli Vocea, Fiji’s Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium • Linking ICTs with the Cancun Agreements: • The role of technology is already well recognized in the UNFCCC process (through the Technology Mechanisms and the Climate Technology Center and Network – CTCN- established in the Cancun Agreements) • Innovation and the transfer and dissemination of technologies, including ICTs, is key to both mitigation and adaptation. “

6. …Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have a fundamental role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in helping countries worldwide adapt to climate change.…… Why ICTs matters?

7. Benefits….15% …amount ICT could reduce global emissions by = 5x …it’s own footprint

8. By driving down emissions in the ICT sector itself 1 • By cutting emissions and raising energy efficiency in other sectors 2 • By helping countries adapt to the negative effects of climate change 3 How ICTs Can Help to Tackle Climate Change ?

10. Identifying priority sectors where ICTs can reduce emissions (e.g. smart buildings, intelligent transport systems, smart grids) The promotion of NGNs (reducing power consumption by up to 40%) Lifecycle analysis including disposal/recycling of ICTs All new standards are now checked for energy efficiency Green by ICT

11. 1. BASE LINE -Socioeconomic -Demographic -Infrastructure -Environmental ….etc… 5.Activities in targeted areas 3. Monitoring Time 2. Risk Analysis Identification of Indicators and Vulnerable areas to monitor 4. Early warning Applications of ICTs to Climate Change Adaptation Disaster Management Time Line Shock event Country- Capacity Building

12. ICTs at work for monitoring climate change • WMO World WeatherWatch, incorporating: • Global Observingsystem • Global Telecom System • Global Data Processingsystem • Remote sensing • Environmental monitoring • Tsunami early-warning system • Digital climate forecasting models • GPS-enabled telemetry • Ubiquitous sensor networks

13. What ITU is doing to tackle climate change and protect the environment?

14. ITU-T created Study Group “Environment & Climate Change” • ITU-T Study Group 5 (April 2009) • New Working Party “ICT and Climate Change” • Continuing and expanding the work of ITU-T Focus Group on ICT and CC • Next meeting will be held from 20 - 28 September, Seoul - Korea • All ITU-T study groups to examine impact of recommendations on climate change

15. ITU-T SG5 established seven work areas • Coordination and Planning of ICT&CC related standardization (Question 17 of ITU-T SG 5) • Methodology of environmental impact assessment of ICT (Q18/5) • Power feeding systems (Q19/5) • Data collection for Energy Efficiency for ICTs over the lifecycle (Q20/5) • Environmental protection and recycling of ICT equipments/facilities (Q21/5) • Setting up a low cost sustainable telecommunication infrastructure for rural communications in developing countries (Q22/5) • Using ICTs to enable countries to adapt to climate change (Q23/5)

16. ITU-T Methodology Common methodology for measuring ICT carbon footprint Without, it will be impossible to provide meaningful comparisons Helps to establish the business case to go green

17. 6 Recommendations under preparation Overview and general principles, approved in February 2011 Covers definition of different types of environmental impacts, and general principles for the evaluation of ICT environmental impacts Focuses on energy and GHG emissions Environmental impact of ICT goods, networks and services Covers direct and indirect impacts of ICT Consent expected in September 2011 Environmental impact of ICT in organisations Includes 3 scopes of ISO 14064-1 Consent expected in September 2011 Environmental impact of ICT projects Consent expected in 2012 Environmental impact of ICT in countries Consent expected in 2012 Environmental impact of ICT in cities Consent expected in 2012

18. Standard for a universal charger for mobile phones • “Universal power adapter and charger solution for mobile terminals and other ICT devices” (ITU-T Recommendation L.1000) • specifies general requirements • covers charger for mobile phones • Future version will cover other ICT devices

19. ITU’s universal charger standard Instead of this … … have this: Recommendation rev. L.1000 Approved June 2011 New

20. Collaboration with UN Agencies ITU with UNEP Basel Convention, United Nations University and in collaboration with SteP Initiative and the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region (CEDARE) will carry out a joint survey on e-waste (July 2011)

21. Raising Awareness • Research & Publications • Technology Watch Reports • Resources Website • Symposiums, Events and Workshops • ITU Symposium in Ghana • ITU Green Standards Week • Workshop in Korea • Joint Coordination Activity on ICT&CC

22. Using Submarine Communications Networks to Monitor the Climate This ITU-T Technology Watch Report gives an overview of how old and new submarine cables could be used for decades to come as a major resource and a real-time global network to monitor climate change and to provide tsunami warnings. Future generations of cables and associated components could have the capacity to directly measure climate variables, such as water temperature and salinity, as well as give pressure readings on the ocean floor. http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/techwatch/Pages/submarinenetworks.aspx

23. ICT as an Enabler for Smart Water Management Smart water management has become a key policy issue for the 21st century, as a growing number of factors are impacting the delivery of already scarce fresh water to millions of people. Economic growth, seasonal climatic conditions and rising population are all affecting availability of water resources. Moreover, a number of effects linked to climate change, such as lengthy droughts and extreme weather events, are worsening the situation. This ITU-T Technology Watch Report provides an overview of how ICT can be a strategic enabler for smart water management policies and surveys upcoming ICT standards that will enable smart water initiatives. http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/techwatch/Pages/smartwatermanagement.aspx

24. ITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change • Where: Accra, Ghana • When: 7-8 July 2011 • Objective:identify possible goals, commitments and modalities of the ICT sector engagements to be developed in the process leading to the forthcoming 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17-CMP7), to be held in Durban, South Africa in November 2011. • Organiser • Host • Sponsors …..including Remote participation

25. ITU is organizing the first Green Standards Week from 5 to 9 September 2011 in Rome, Italy, hosted by Telecom Italia. The Green Standards Week will bring together leading specialists in the field, from top policy-makers to engineers, designers, planners, government officials, regulators, standards experts and others. The main purpose is to raise awareness of the importance and opportunities of using ICT standards to build a green economy.  General Information • When: 5 - 9 September 2011 • Where: Rome, Italy • Participation is free of charge • Discussions will be held in English only http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/climatechange/gsw/201102/index.html Organiser Host

26. ITU Green Standards Week • 5 September 2011.: Workshop on Methodologies for Environmental Impact Assessment of ICT will examine work underway to measure the impact of ICTs on climate change and how to standardize the way to calculate the reduction of GHG that ICTs have. • Jointly organized with European Commission • 6-8 September 2011: Workshop on Moving to a Green Economy through ICT Standards will explore how ICTs can help to address climate change and build a green economy, shedding light on standards, policies and best practices. • High Level Segment with Ministers & CEOs • 8-9 September 2011: Workshop on Using Submarine Communications Networks to Monitor the Climate, will aim to encourage the development of new technologies and standards and will explore business opportunities for telecommunication companies to become active players in monitoring climate change. • Jointly organized with WMO

27. ITU Workshop on Progressing the Climate Agenda Through Green ICTs • Where: Seoul, Korea • When: 19 September 2011 • Objective:to move forward the agenda on using ICTs to monitor climate change, mitigate and adapt to its effects. • Organiser • Host

28. ITU-T established JointCoordination Activity (JCA) • Objectives: • to co-ordinate across ITU-T study groups and with ITU-R and ITU-D • to seek co-operation from external bodies including non-ITU member organizations • Next Physical Meeting: 28 September 2011, Seoul, Korea (remote participation will be provided)

29. “The objective of this competition is to push contestants to think outside the box and develop concept papers for an ICT application that will be a valuable contribution to green ICT industry. Looking forward to receiving your creative and exciting ideas! ” • Malcolm JohnsonDirector, ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau Sponsors Deadline – 15 July 2011

30. Call to Action ICT plays a critical role for: Mitigation Adaptation Capacity building Technology transfer Overall ICT impacts every facet of human life – it is a driving engine for socio-economic development

31. Links & Additional Information ITU-T and climate changehttp://www.itu.int/ITU-T/climatechange ITU and climate change http://www.itu.int/climate ITU Symposia & Events on ICTs and Climate Change http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/climatechange

32. arthur.levin@itu.int