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Top2. The Challenge Of Sustainability–Is Ict The Solution Or Part Of The Problem?
Implicit in many recent policy reports about the contribution of ICT as an enabler for sustainability in other sectors (Climate Group, 2008; Capgemini, 2009) is the assumption that ICT itself is a clean a sector. The negative externalities1 generated by the sector are often disregarded. For example, the influential Climate Group study (2008) notes that fifteen percent of the CO2 emissions in 2020 can be saved by applying smart ICT in other sectors. However, the direct environmental and rebound effects, that is, the unintended side effects that negate the intended environmental benefits, are ignored or covered up (e.g., Climate Group, 2008, p. 50). The parallels between current promises of ICT towards making an environmental contribution and the hopes held in the 1990s entail a warning. The rebound effects of the paperless office (direct, primary environmental effect) and teleworking (indirect, secondary environmental effect) have become classic examples (Egyedi & Peet, 2003; van Lieshout & Huygen, 2010). While teleworking was hailed as a means to reduce mileage to work, studies show that it increased other transport (e.g., travel during leisure time); and while ICT was expected to reduce paper use (i.e., ‘de-materialization’), in reality - and primarily because of computers - between 1988 and 1998 it increased by a quarter (O'Meara, 2000, p. 129).
Indeed, in stark contrast with the immaterial notion conveyed by concepts such as ‘virtual’, ‘web’ and ‘the cloud’, the impact of ICTs on the environment is highly concrete. It relates to the energy and materials used in manufacturing products; the packaging and logistics of distribution; the energy and material consumption during use; and disposal at end-of-life. At each of these stages, standards can play a sustainability-enhancing role.