Climate Action 2009-2010

TECHNOLOGY
Figure 2. ICT impact: The global footprint and the enabling effect.
Source: GeSI’s SMART 2020 Report (2008)
Also in 2009, GeSI’s climate change working group
(GeSI-CCWG) re-launched itself to guide and formulate
climate change policy on a global basis, including work
on energy efficiency. GeSI’s climate change working
group is focused on two main areas: (1) developing a
roadmap that emphasises standardisation and reporting
of CO 2
emissions and broadening the research of the
opportunities of ICTs contribution; and (2) positioning
this roadmap by region, Europe, North and South
America and Asia. The strategic development involves
collaboration of all GeSI members as the climate change
working group co-ordinates closely with every other
working group in GeSI.
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN EU
FUNDED RESEARCH
In addition to the working groups, GeSI offers members
an opportunity to participate in EU funded research
programmes on smart grids (Supporting Energy
Efficiency in Smart Generation Grids, ‘SEESGEN’) and
smart transport initiatives (ICT21EE).
In ICT21EE, members are contributing examples of
transport-related initiatives that, by improving the
experience of taking public transport, reduce the
dependency on car use and the amount of CO 2
emissions.
In SEESGEN, members are contributing to research
efforts in the area of environmental protection of smart
grids, with emphasis on computing activities in smart
distribution grids, reducing carbon emissions in data
centres, infrastructures dedicated to smart grids and
how ICT systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This research project will go through 2011 and the final
objective is to create a repository of information for
the European Commission. GeSI also has the role of
liaising with a related EU smart grid research project,
ICT4SMARTDG, so as to co-ordinate SEESGEN’s work
programme of environmental protection of smart grids
with micro-grids (buildings and residential users).
FULL LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS – THE SUPPLY
CHAIN WORKING GROUP
The supply chain working group (GeSI-SCWG), GeSI’s
largest working group, consists of several subgroups:
supplier reporting; validated audit processes;
extractives; and learning and capabilities. The expansion
of the working group to include these sub-groups
demonstrates the group’s commitment to a full lifecycle
analysis of responsible sourcing.
“
Policy developments in the
supply chain are also carefully
monitored, especially as the past
year has seen a dramatic focus
on extractives coming from US
legislators and NGOs
“
The group has also integrated eWaste in its agenda; for
example, the group considers end-of-life issues such
as universal mobile phone chargers and extraction of
minerals from specific mines.
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VISIT: WWW.CLIMATEACTIONPROGRAMME.ORG