Des compteurs intelligents pour combattre le réchauffement climatique[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). In December, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to try to set common goals to reduce CO2 emissions.

In this battle, it is believed that information and communication technologies (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.

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).

Brussels adopted on Friday (9 October) a long-awaited set recommendations intended to increase the use of intelligent technologies in the fight against climate change.

At the same time, the EU executive is encouraging the industry to commit to ambitious targets for reducing the carbon emissions of the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector.

Member states are invited to adopt common standards for smart metering systems by 2010 in order to facilitate their deployment across Europe. By the end of 2012, a timeframe should be agreed for the rollout of smart devices in households and offices.

Over time, citizens are expected to reduce their energy use once they are able to easily check their consumption and how much it costs them.

Easy-to-use and pervasive metering devices embedded in specific home electronic equipment - such as televisions, washing machines and computers – or applied to the overall energy consumption of a household are believed to play a crucial role in increasing awareness among citizens and reducing energy consumption, with beneficial effects on climate change.

ICT industry required commitments

The ICT sector is expected to gain considerably from the rollout of intelligent technologies, which will increase the pervasiveness of ICT in citizens' daily lives, boosting revenues among industry players such as IBM or Cisco Systems.

In exchange, the EU executive requires the sector to significantly cut its own energy consumption and CO2 emissions, estimated at 2% of the total. Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding called upon the industry "to identify by 2011 energy efficiency targets that aim to exceed" the EU's overall 2020 targets on climate change "by 2015".

In other words, she is asking the ICT sector to commit to objectives that are more ambitious than the most ambitious plan ever conceived to fight climate change.

In order to reach these goals, the industry must be able to accurately measure its own emissions. Top ICT companies have already voluntarily committed to significant cuts in CO2 production, with reduction targets of up to 80% for BT, 50% for Vodafone and 49% for Nokia Siemens. "But nobody knows the way they calculate their energy consumption," an industry expert told EurActiv, preferring to remain anonymous.

That is why Brussels wants smart metering systems to be applied by the ICT industry as well as by households. The sector is encouraged to adopt and apply common standards to measure its energy and environmental performance by 2010, according to the EU guidelines.