Irish Regions Office Website

March 26, 2009

ICT for a Low Carbon Society - Consultation

In January 2007, the European Commission adopted an energy and climate change package, subsequently endorsed by the European Parliament and by EU leaders, targeting a 20% increase in the use of renewable energy and a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (compared to 1990 levels) by 2020. In May 2008 it announced an intention to promote the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in meeting these goals by improving energy efficiency throughout the economy.

The untapped potential of ICT is expected to reduce total carbon emissions in Europe by up to 15% by 2020 - not only by improving monitoring and management of energy use in workplaces and public spaces but by helping make people more aware of how they use energy domestically. A Communication has been published on 12 March calling on Member States (who at last December's Council summit reiterated a collective commitment to meeting the 20/20 targets) and industry to take concrete steps to realise this vision by spreading the use of technologies that allow people and business to carry out their daily activities in a more energy efficient way.

The Commission have consequently launched a new public consultation to establish a common understanding among all stakeholders of the issues needing to be tackled and of the proposed solutions. Contributions will feed into a Recommendation setting out specific actions to make the best use of ICTs being adopted in the second half of 2009.

In a related development, a 23 March agreement between the European Parliament and the Czech EU presidency on liberalising the EU's energy market - the so-called unbundling policy - means that some 80% of European consumers are set to have smart energy meters, found in recent trials to contribute to a 10% reduction in typical energy consumption, installed in their homes by 2020.

Smarter energy use: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sustainable_growth/energy_efficiency/index_en.htm
Consultation: http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=ICT4EE3
Deadline: 14 June

Posted by iroronan at March 26, 2009 03:22 PM