EU will Geschäftsreisen Krieg erklären [en] 

In March 2007, EU leaders endorsed the European Commission's proposed '20-20-20' energy and climate change targets (20% renewables in the EU's energy mix and 20% less greenhouse gas emissions by 2020). Next December, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to try to set common goals to reduce CO2 emissions.

In this colossal battle, ICT can play a key role. According to estimates by consulting firm McKinsey, widespread use of intelligent devices and applications could reduce global CO2 emissions by as much as 15% by 2020 (EurActiv 27/06/08).

In March 2009, the European Commission launched an action plan to increase ICT usage to facilitate the transition to an "energy-efficient, low-carbon economy". The ICT industry was encouraged to cut its own emissions together with helping other sectors to become greener (see EurActiv LinksDossier).

Viviane Reding, the EU's information society commissioner, announced the forthcoming recommendation in a speech to the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday (29 September).

One of the main proposals is to cut private business trips by 20%, replacing them with video conferences. This could "save more than 22 million tons of CO2 per year," according to one Commission official.

Video conferences and teleworking already represent an important alternative to commuting and travelling, although at the moment they are only marginally used. Many fear that current infrastructure will not be able to deal with a surge in the use of such services, which rely on super-fast Internet connections and higher bandwidth availability.

To tackle this potential lack of ICT infrastructure, the Commission will issue proposals before the end of the year on how to invest in optical fibre networks (so-called Next Generation Networks), which are expected to replace the existing mainly copper-based Internet infrastructure.

The recommendation, to be adopted by the EU executive on 8 October, also highlights the importance of using remote computers for office activities, a practice known as 'cloud computing'.

"Cloud computing is high on our agenda and we should find ways to help SMEs to take advantage of it," Commissioner Reding told MEPs yesterday.

Cloud computing refers to the usage of external servers to store data and to carry out a number of office activities. If properly used, this technological development could allow conspicuous savings, beneficial both for the environment and for the financial situation of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are currently suffering from tight credit markets and the recession.

According to figures provided by the Commission, using cloud computing could indeed lead to electricity savings of up to 80%. Firms could also spend less on buying hardware, relying on cheaper external computers. However, security and privacy problems related to clouds have not yet been conclusively solved (EurActiv 17/06/09).