Abstract: Sustainable development is a political concept with a strong normative component. In this article we show which implications follow from this normative component if it is interpreted in a natural science context. We conclude that from a natural science point of view a far-reaching dematerialization of consumption is a necessary condition for sustainable development. We further conclude that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can only support sustainable development if they are applied as enablers of dematerialized (less material-intensive) types of consumption. Macro-level data on consumption shows, however, that average material flows per capita are still increasing. In this problematical situation we see a need for framework conditions which provide incentives for dematerialization and specialized research on the psychosocial conditions on the basis of which consumption patterns could evolve towards a more dematerialized economy.
Abstract: Currently, many countries are establishing goals for substituting biofuels for fossil fuels. These goals usually foresee 5-10% substitution while today's production, in most countries, is far below 2%. Evidently, many countries will seek to meet their ambitious biofuel targets through imports. This global trade in biofuels, which is to some extent already taking place, will have a major impact not only on other commodity markets like vegetable oils or animal fodder but also on the global land use change and on environmental impacts. This special issue focuses on the relation between trading, policy making and sustainability impacts of biofuels. It demonstrates the strong but complex link between biofuels production and the global food market, it unveils policy measures as the main drivers for production and use of biofuels and it analyzes various sustainability indicators and certification schemes for biofuels with respect to minimizing the adverse effects of biofuels while maximizing the benefits of the future use of biofuels.
Abstract: Governance for sustainable development requires policy coherence and Environmental Policy Integration, which are being hindered by difficulties coordinating the two separate impact assessment processes being conducted in the European Commission. One of them, the Commission-wide Impact Assessment process, looks primarily at EU-internal impacts, whereas the other one, Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) in DG Trade, looks outward to other countries and intergovernmental organizations. Ideally, the two processes should complement one another, especially as the two are set to continue being done in parallel. The paper uses a case study of the reform of the European sugar regime under a World Trade Organization ruling to demonstrate how the two impact assessment processes could better complement one another. Feedback from the experience had with existing trade agreements could then promote policy learning and inform the negotiations on new agreements. The number of new bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements is expected to continue rising, thus increasing the importance of the Commission-wide Impact Assessment process required for them. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Abstract: Information technology (IT) is continuously making astounding progress in technical efficiency. The time, space, material and energy needed to provide a unit of IT service have decreased by three orders of magnitude since the first personal computer (PC) was sold. However, it seems difficult for society to translate ITâs efficiency progress into progress in terms of individual, organizational or socio-economic goals. In particular it seems to be difficult for individuals to work more efficiently, for organizations to be more productive and for the socio-economic system to be more sustainable by using increasingly efficient IT. This article provides empirical evidence and potential explanations for this problem. Many counterproductive effects of IT can be explained economically by rebound effects. Beyond that, we conclude that the technological determinism adopted by decision-makers is the main obstacle in translating ITâs progress into non-technical goals.
Abstract: The Precautionary Principle aims to anticipate and minimize potentially serious or irreversible risks under conditions of uncertainty. Thus it preserves the potential for future developments. It has been incorporated into many international treaties and pieces of national legislation for environmental protection and sustainable development. However the Precautionary Principle has not yet been applied systematically to novel Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their potential environmental, social, and health effects. In this article we argue that precaution is necessary in this field and show how the general principle of precaution can be put in concrete terms in the context of the information society. We advocate precautionary measures directed towards pervasive applications of ICT (Pervasive Computing) because of their inestimable potential impacts on society.
Abstract: The United Nations All open the first-ever World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2003. Per the mandate given to hold WSIS by the ITU in 1998, the event is supposed to focus on using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development (ICT4D, or "E-Development"). However in this broad field there are many other players besides the ITU and its UN partners, and it is proving difficult to induce those existing authorities to cede power to the new venue. Negotiations are the usual form that actors choose for progress on goal to be achieved multilaterally. However WSIS is not a venue for negotiations, but rather a showcase and networking space. This paper strives to apply regime theory and institutional economics to the conflicts that arise when existing regimes are challenged by the ITU and its WSIS partners (including UNESCO and the UN ICT Task Force). The paper presents the interests of four of the other main institutions involved, which more closely reflect those of the United States: the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Group of Eight major industrialized nations (G-8). The powerful G-8 nation-states did their best to bridge the global digital divide with their DOF Force set up in Okinawa, Japan, in June of 2000. After that the United Nations' ICT Task Force took over the job of improving the use of ICT for development. Ironically, exactly three years later, the G-8 met in Evian, France - close to where the UN is preparing for its WSIS - but answers are still being sought to the basic question as to where the many issues raised by the new information society should be addressed.
Abstract: Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) are a potential source of data to develop local emission- and consumption factors for industrial activities because of the type of environmental data collected and the accompanying information on industrial processes. This is true in cases in which the emissions and consumption values in them are derived from measurements, not estimated with non local emission factors. This study analyses the potential of the Chilean and the Mexican PRTRs as sources of local data for three main environmental assessment methods, namely LCA, EIA and air emission inventories, as well as for greenhouse gas emission reports at the national and corporate levels. We conclude that the development of air emission factors for air emission inventories of the main air pollutants will be possible in the near future. The collection of all additional data needed for greenhouse gas emissions reports, as well as for LCA and EIA would be also possible if the present data collection system in the PRTRs were modified. Nevertheless, countries would have to consider the costs of obtaining this additional data and would have to adapt their legislation accordingly. Although the results of the present study indicate that the PRTRs evaluated still have shortcomings, it is expected that the registers will continue to improve due to the support coming from the authorities, the pressure of bi- and multilateral agreements, international trade and the increasing environmental awareness of the population. Moreover, the inclusion of more measured data in the PRTRs would not only make it possible to develop local environmental data for further assessments, but would also improve the quality of the PRTRs for their original purpose of monitoring harmful substances released or transferred at the national level and at the level of individual facilities.
Abstract: Despite the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are responsible for only a small part of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions â current estimations attribute around 2 % of man made emissions to ICT â this sector is the one with the fastest growing emissions. As a result, there is an increasing concern about the environmental impact of ICT, especially the climate change potential induced by ICT related energy consumption. At the same time, there is a growing perception that ICT can also substantially reduce the environmental impacts of other sectors, in particular by increasing their energy efficiency. ICT can help all economic sectors to become more energy efficient â since ICT allows existing processes to be optimized or enables entirely new, more energy efficient processes. The energy that could be saved by ICT induced energy efficiency is estimated to be several times larger than the overall energy consumption of ICT itself. The European Commission recognizes this potential and hopes that Europe will go a long way toward achieving its target of 20 % greenhouse gas reduction by 2020 by deploying ICT for energy efficiency. The present study looks at the field spawned by these two main issues at the intersection between ICT and energy: ICTâs own energy consumption and ICTâs potential to induce energy efficiency across the economy. In its approach to these issues, the study looks both at todayâs situation, as well as future opportunities and risks. The study discusses the following research questions: a) estimates of the current energy consumption of ICT, b) prospective future developments in this energy consumption, and c) future energy efficiency potentials induced by ICT in various economic sectors. [...]
Abstract: The objectives of Task 4 âRefinement and Quantificationâ of the study on the future impact of ICT on environmental sustainability are as follows: (i) to refine and quantify the scenarios developed in Task 3 by creating a simulation model of the impact of ICT on environmental sustainability, (ii) to estimate the model parameters based on the data collected in Task 2, on additional literature reviews and expert consultation, (iii) to provide input into Task 5 âEvaluation and Recommendationsâ by identifying the factors that have most influence on the environmental indicators.
