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EC backs tech for green future
Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency...

By Tim Ferguson

Published: Thursday 15 May 2008

The European Commission (EC) is backing the use of technology to cut carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency across Europe's economy.

The Commission is promoting the intelligent use of tech to improve efficiency in buildings, lighting and power grids in order to make significant inroads into reducing Europe's carbon footprint.

Green IT from A to Z

Click on the links below to find out more...

A is for Abroad
B is for Blades
C is for Carbon footprint
D is for Data centres
E is for Energy sources
F is for Freecycle
G is for Government
H is for Homeworking
I is for Ice caps
J is for Jobs (Steve)
K is for Kilowatts
L is for Landfill
M is for Mercury
N is for Nanogeneration
O is for Offsetting
P is for Paperless office
Q is for Queen
R is for Recycling
S is for SmartPlanet.com
T is for Travel
U is for Upgrade
V is for Virtualisation
W is for WEEE
X is for Xmas
Y is for You
Z is for Zero emissions

It wants the IT industry to play a leading role by reducing its own carbon dioxide output but also by developing technologies that would help other industries do the same.

The Commission feels three areas should be focused on in this work: energy generation and distribution; monitoring of energy consumption in buildings; and moving to more energy efficient 'intelligent' lighting.

The EC cites advanced computer servers which use the same amount of energy as a standard light bulb. Wide use of this technology could save up to 70 per cent in energy.

Commissioner for information society and media, Viviane Reding, said the move to a high growth, low carbon economy is essential to achieve European efficiency goals by 2020.

She added this would be a "win-win situation" as the tech would promote European competitiveness, as well as fight climate change.

It is predicted the EU's energy consumption will rise by as much as 25 per cent by 2012 if no action is taken. The IT sector currently accounts for two per cent of global CO2 emissions.