4 Use of ICT to achieve an energy-efficient
and low-carbon economy
| (30499)
7566/09
+ ADDs 1-3
COM(09) 111
| Commission Communication on mobilising Information and Communication Technologies to facilitate the transition to an energy-efficient, low-carbon economy
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 12 March 2009
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| Deposited in Parliament | 17 March 2009
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| Department | Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 1 April 2009
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | Second half of 2009
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important.
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
4.1 The Community has set itself targets for reducing energy
consumption and carbon emissions by 2020, and the Commission says
that energy efficiency lies at the heart of efforts to address
these issues. It suggests that Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) are known for their capacity for energy-saving and potential
to effect rapid change across every facet of society, government
and industry, and it has therefore sought in this Communication
to set out what can be achieved both by the ICT sector in its
own right and in relation to other sectors of society and the
economy.
The current document
4.2 The Commission points out that the ICT sector employs
6.6 million people across the 27 Member States, and that it is
embedded in almost all parts of the European economy, with its
products and services accounting for 7.8% of electricity consumption
within the Community (a figure it suggests may grow to 10.5% by
2020). It observes that the potential of ICTs to improve energy
efficiency is generally accepted, but that action is needed if
this potential is to be realised in line with the 2020 targets.
It points out that ICTs have a dual contribution to make, namely:
(i) to bring about energy efficiency improvements by reducing
the amount of energy required to deliver a given service, by monitoring
and directly managing consumption, by providing tools for more
energy-efficient business models, working practices and lifestyles,
and by delivering innovative technologies;
(ii) to provide a quantitative basis on which
energy-efficient strategies can be devised, implemented and evaluated,
notably by such means as smart metering, and measuring energy
performance at a system level.
It also suggests that the mere existence of 2020
targets makes accurate and verifiable quantification of energy
consumption crucially important, and that ICT is better equipped
than any other sector to address this challenge.
4.3 The Commission then considers ways in which
to maximise the contribution of ICTs in this area. It identifies
two main challenges — the energy used by the sector itself
(which is equivalent to about 2% of carbon emissions in Europe),
and its capacity to tackle the 98% emissions generated elsewhere
(where it says a reduction of 15% could be achieved by 2020).
It notes that some ICT companies have set targets on energy savings
and emissions reductions, but that these differ widely, with little
common basis for the sector to identify where opportunities for
greater efficiencies lie, and that data on the benefits achieved
(or achievable) is often inconsistent.
4.4 It therefore believes that harmonised methodologies
for measuring and quantifying energy performance are needed if
such inconsistencies are to be eliminated, and the potential benefits
of ICT not to be overlooked. Consequently, it intends to issue
later this year a Recommendation to enable ICTs to contribute
to energy efficiency gains and emissions reductions in a measurable
and verifiable way, in particular by:
(i) inviting the sector to set itself targets
and reach a collective agreement on measurement methodologies
focussing on the accuracy, transparency and verifiability of its
processes at company and sector level;
(ii) encouraging working partnerships between
the ICT sector and other major energy-using sectors to identify
where and how ICTs can play a role in improving efficiency and
reducing emissions;
(iii) calling upon Member States to enable a
Community-wide roll-out of ICT tools likely to trigger a behavioural
shift by consumers, businesses and communities, whilst driving
the demand for innovative ICT solutions.
4.5 The Communication suggests that the proposed
Recommendation should focus on two particular areas — buildings
and construction, and transport logistics — in view of their
relatively large shares of overall energy consumption and the
ongoing efforts being made by the Commission and Member States
in the areas in question. It also highlights the role of developments
such as smart metering in encouraging changes in consumer behaviour,
and the part which Member States can play, for example through
procurement policies, innovative programmes, and support for pilot
projects and the spread of best practice. Finally, the Commission
suggests areas in which it too can contribute, notably through
supporting relevant research and innovation.
The Government's view
4.6 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 1 April
2009, the Minister for Communications, Technologies and Broadcasting
at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
(Stephen Carter) says that the Government
support the Commission's
aim of maximising the contribution of ICT in reducing carbon dioxide
emissions, and agrees that further Community intervention, including
the adoption of specific Recommendations for future policy-making,
is needed to bring about the changes required. However, as many
of these issues are inter-related, he says that there is the potential
for duplication and/or confusion with other Commission activities
in the area of energy efficiency and energy market liberalisation,
and that the UK will seek to mitigate this risk.
4.7 As regards specific issues covered by the
Communication, the Minister says that it is not clear how the
proposal for a Member State-led smart meter standardisation process
will mesh with the standardisation work already being undertaken
by Community standards bodies, and that it will be important that
any such process should not prevent Member States making progress
on implementing smart metering in the meantime; that, although
the inclusion of the buildings and construction sector in any
Recommendation would be welcome, there are some major obstacles
to realising certain of the Commission's ambitions in this area,
such as the difficulty of modelling the energy efficiency of existing
buildings because of variations in quality of construction and
the payback period for retrofitting ICT systems onto old building
stock; that experience in other areas suggests that efforts to
create a demand for more energy efficient ICT goods and services
through public procurement can lead to the Commission establishing
mandatory minimum EU wide standards, and would need to be considered
carefully; and that efforts to assess ICT energy consumption should
be supported by empirically judged case studies, with evidence
and supporting documentation being made freely available.
Conclusion
4.8 It is clear that the Commission sees Information
and Communication Technologies as capable of playing an potentially
important part in improving energy efficiency, both in terms of
the performance of the sector itself and its impact in other areas.
That said, this Communication simply suggests in fairly general
terms areas where further activity appears to be needed, and is
intended to lead to a Recommendation to Member States, rather
than any binding legislative instrument. Consequently, whilst
we are drawing it to the attention of the House, we see no need
to withhold clearance.
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