Information and Communication Technology Revolution and Global Warming

Abstract

Although the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution is hardly 20 years old, it is already directly influencing the lives of more than two thirds of the global population and has played a prominent role in socio-politico-economical development across the societies. However, over the time the ICT segment has become a major consumer of energy, and therefore, it is rapidly becoming a significant source of greenhouse emissions. All the indicators point towards continued growth in ICT. In this chapter, the authors account for the approximate annual energy consumption and resultant CO2 emissions of this sector. They also account for the indirect environmental effects of rapid proliferation of ICT technologies. This work, therefore, highlights potential areas where increased energy efficient measures are urgently required to ensure sustainable development. The authors also discuss the positive contribution and potential of ICT in curtailing carbon emissions. Towards the end, they summarize various initiatives by the scientific community to ensure energy efficiency and sustainable development. This chapter gives an overview of the extent of the problem, accounts for energy consumption of various ICT sub-segments, and looks into some of the solutions and future directions proposed by researchers to counter this threat.