Together with its research partner Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability, the IZT prepared a report on sustainable information technology for the German Bundestag's Enquete Commission on the Internet and Digital Society.

The aim of the report was to identify, forecast and analyse the possible applications of ICT solutions and the resources required for this (particularly energy), as well as to provide statistically reliable figures. The following questions should also be answered: What are the options for reducing resource requirements while the global expansion of the Internet infrastructure continues? What measures can be taken? What are the effects of reducing resource requirements? Rebound effects were also to be discussed, particularly against the background of user behaviour and the Internet infrastructure, as well as the question of how this could be assessed on the basis of the current state of research.

The report on sustainable information technology provided three key findings:

  1. The rapid pace of innovation and change in information and communication technology (ICT) has made it difficult to make long-term statements about resource requirements and potential resource savings.
  2. The analysis revealed opposing trends: on the one hand, the number of ICT devices and applications increased rapidly, which tended to lead to an increase in ICT-related resource requirements and emissions. On the other hand, the energy and material efficiency of end devices, networks and data centres improved considerably in many cases, which opened up significant opportunities to save resources.
  3. The systemic nature and high complexity of the cross-sectional technology of ICT, the high dynamics of change and the simultaneous nature of opposing trends in resource requirements and resource-saving opportunities make it difficult to make reliable statements about the overall economic and social environmental effects.

 

More info