The document discusses the challenges of climate change and the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in addressing these challenges. It outlines three key roles for ICT: 1) Reducing the carbon footprint of the ICT industry itself; 2) Using informatics to analyze and understand climate change; and 3) Enabling efficiency through applications like dematerialization, smart motor systems, logistics, buildings, and grids. The document also notes that while ICT has potential to help, the industry must show urgency and commitment to deliver on reducing emissions.

1. University of Edinburgh
Climate Change and Informatics in Scotland
Andrew Mitchell – Beijing – 22nd
April, 2011.

2. University of EdinburghAgenda
• The twin challenges of a Low Carbon Economy
• Scotland’s capabilities
• ICT and Climate Change

3. University of EdinburghEconomic success has led to twin challenges
• Energy security
• Environmental
sustainability

4. University of EdinburghIn the absence of a low carbon future…
Projections (IEA/EIA) suggest:
• World energy demand rising: 1.5%/yr
• 12,000 mtoe (2007) to 16,800 mtoe
by 2030 – 40% rise
• 90% of growth in demand from non-
OECD countries; Asian countries main
drivers
• Fossil fuel share remains at ~80%
• Liquid fuels remain dominant fuel type
• Demand for power generation rises 75%
• 4,800GW required by 2030 [5x
current US capacity]
• Power generation dominated by coal

5. University of Edinburgh
Le Quéré et al. 2009, Nature Geoscience; CDIAC 2009
…as emissions’ growth from developing nations
Annex B (Kyoto Protocol)
Developed Nation
Developing Nations
Non-Annex B
1990 2000 2010
5
4
3
2
CO2emissions(PgCy-1
)
55%
45%

6. University of EdinburghProposition…
A low carbon future is a necessary
condition to overcome the twin challenges
of energy security and environmental
sustainability, with their consequent
impacts on equity, wealth creation, etc…
What are the barriers to delivery of a low
carbon future?

7. University of Edinburgh
Professional skillsKnowledge hub Innovation
www.climatechangecentre.org.uk

8. University of Edinburgh
Scotland’s Capabilities
Edinburgh Centre on Climate Change
The Edinburgh Centre aims to bridge the intimidating gap
between good ideas and the practical actions required to
support the transition to a low carbon economy.
We undertake three types of activities:
1.Professional skills training;
2.Providing a forum for building partnerships to
solve "low carbon" problems; and
3.Coordinating and sharing information on workable solutions
from around the world.
Located in the cultural, political and scientific capital of Scotland
and the most significant financial centre after London.

9. University of Edinburgh
Scotland’s Capabilities
University of Edinburgh: particular expertise in:
• Novel Fuels and Waste Usage.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
• Carbon Utilisation
• Economic Modelling and Accounting of Energy and Carbon
• Renewable Energy Systems (Marine and Wind)
• Sustainability & Low Carbon Infrastructure
• Solar Cells and Thermo-Electric Power
• Green Electronics and IT
• Environmental Mitigation Technologies
• Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Carbon
• Hydrogen Storage and Nuclear Power

10. University of Edinburgh
The world's first MSc in Carbon
Finance, dedicated to
professionals in the carbon market
and climate change investment
field and focussed on the business
opportunities and financial flows
driven by society's response to
climate change.
A landmark collaboration
between the world-renowned
School of GeoSciences and the
Business School at the University
of Edinburgh, the MSc in Carbon
Management provides a high-
level, intensive exploration of a
subject crucial to the future of
business and, of course, the
planet itself.
www.business-school.ed.ac.uk

11. University of Edinburgh
Informatics in Scotland:
• Edinburgh: Largest Computer Science department in Europe and
Best Computer Science department in the UK by a factor of two
(based on official Research Assessment Exercise)
• Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance
• Low Carbon related research:
• Low Power Consumption Chip Design
• Microbial Fuel Cells
• Energy Neutral Speckled Computing
• Centre for Earth System Dynamics and Climate Change Modelling
• Zero Carbon Buildings (CAD, Visualisation, Management, Analysis)
• Hydrodynamic Modelling of Tidal Currents
• And and and… http://www.cleaninformatics.com/
Scotland’s Capabilities

12. University of Edinburgh
ICT and Climate Change
The ICT industry has a very significant role to play in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, especially in a rapidly developing
country such as China. Future development in China should not
follow the wrong path taken by developed countries. Many
industries can make use of modern ICT technology to move into
higher efficiency low carbon markets. If we are to better use ICT
technology to move away from existing energy intensive work
habits and lifestyles, we need government policy innovations,
incentives for companies and the active participation of
consumers.
Tang Min, Deputy Secretary-General,
China Development Research Foundation

13. University of Edinburgh
ICT and Climate Change
The ICT industry has a sizeable carbon footprint – on a par with the
aviation industry at 2-3% of global carbon emissions (Gartner 2007).
BUT IT IS GROWING RAPIDLY!
“At current growth rates data centers and telecommunication
networks, the two key components of the cloud Facebook depends
on, will consume about 1,963 billion kilowatts hours of electricity in
2020. That’s more than triple their current consumption and more
than the current electricity consumption of France, Germany, Canada
and Brazil combined.”
Greenpeace Blog, March 30, 2010

14. University of Edinburgh
Addicted to Data
The World’s Technological Capacity to Store, Communicate, and Compute Information
Martin Hilbert and Priscila López
Science 1 April 2011: 60-65. DOI:10.1126/science.1200970
In 2007 humankind was able to store 2.9×1020
optimally compressed
bytes (290 exabytes) and communicate almost 2×1021
bytes.
"If we were to take all
that information and
store it in books, we
could cover the entire
area of China in 13
layers of books”
Dr Martin Hilbert
University of Southern California
bytes 290,000,000,000,000,000,000
kilobytes 290,000,000,000,000,000
megabytes 290,000,000,000,000
gigabytes 290,000,000,000
terabytes 290,000,000
petabytes 290,000
exabytes 290

15. University of Edinburgh
© Greenpeace / Kate Davison
Addicted to Products

16. University of Edinburgh
Three roles of ICT in Climate Change
Reducing the Carbon Footprint of the ICT industry itself
• Zero carbon data centres
• Low power consumption chips
• Software design, deployment and management
• Consumer, corporate and supplier behaviour: product lifecycles
• Always on pervasive data networks?
Role one:

17. University of Edinburgh
Three roles of ICT in Climate Change
Informatics: analysing and understanding climate change.
Informatics is the study of the structure, the behaviour, and the
interactions of natural and engineered computational systems.
“…when you can measure what you are speaking
about, and express it in numbers, you know
something about it; but when you cannot
measure it, when you cannot express it in
numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and
unsatisfactory kind…”
Lord Kelvin (1824 – 1907)
Role two:

18. University of Edinburgh
SMART2020: Three roles of ICT in Climate Change
Enabling efficiency: changing the way we live and work
• Dematerialisation: (e-books, telepresence, e-billing etc)
• SMART motor systems
• SMART logistics
• SMART buildings
• SMART grids
Role three:

19. University of Edinburgh
SMART2020: Global e-Sustainability Initiative
Smart motor systems: 2% of global emissions in 2020 will come from motor systems
(manufacturing) in China. 10% efficiency would deliver 200 million tonnes (Mt) CO2e
savings. Applied globally, optimised motors and industrial automation would reduce 0.97
GtCO2e in 2020.
Smart logistics: Efficiencies in transport and storage, smart logistics could deliver
significant fuel, electricity and heating savings (1.52 GtCO2e in 2020).
Smart buildings: Better building design, management and automation could save 15% of
North America’s buildings emissions.
Globally, smart buildings technologies would enable 1.68 GtCO2e of emissions savings.
Smart grids: Reducing transmission and distribution losses in India’s power sector by 30%
is possible through better monitoring and management of electricity grids, first with smart
meters and then by integrating more advanced ICTs into the so-called “energy internet”.
http://www.gesi.org/ReportsPublications/Smart2020/tabid/192/Default.aspx

20. University of Edinburgh
BUT… the ICT industry has a legacy of failing to deliver.
“All dealings with
Government that can be
delivered electronically
will be deliverable
electronically by 2005.”
Tony Blair
March 1999
In 2011 there is still a mountain to climb:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/government-efficiency

21. University of Edinburgh
And so the ICT industry challenge is:
1. Reducing the Carbon Footprint of the ICT industry itself
2. Informatics: analysing and understanding climate change.
3. Enabling efficiency: changing the way we live and work
• Dematerialisation
• Smart motor systems
• Smart logistics
• Smart buildings
• Smart grids
But most importantly: a sense of urgency and commitment to deliver.
Andrew Mitchell
Edinburgh Centre on Climate Change
Email: a.mitchell@me.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/roomitchell
Web: http://www.climatechangecentre.org.uk/