Summary of social responses to manage IT

and the environment

Eric WilliamsUnited Nations University

Environmental impactsand IT hardware

1. Hardware• eco-labels• Takeback systems• Getting toxic out• E-waste

2. Applications• Telecommuting• Teleconferencing, paperless office, e-commerce• IT to enhance air/water quality management

Hardware: Eco-labels

Certification by third-party organizations that model meets certain environmental criteria:

National takeback systems

European Union – Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) comes into effect 2005. Legislates target of ~ 70% recycling by weight.

Other countries already implementing their own: Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan, etc.

Getting the lead (and other toxics) out

European Union – Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS). Goes into effect 2003. Includes ban of lead and certain BFRs in circuit boards. . Legislates target of 70% recycling by weight.

Japanese firms are taking initiative in making lead/halogen free electronics

Reuse and upgrade

OEMs: many takeback and sell their own refurbished machines (high end)

SME – some specialize in reselling, upgrading (e.g. Computer Renaissance)

Consumers: sometimes sell (e.g. via Ebay) or donate to charity. Most end up in closets.

E-waste trade

In response to publicity, China banned import of used IT equipment. Some US OEMs and recyclers signed pledge to change practice. Effective?

Desirable solution?

Applications: telecommuting

Firms – some active in giving option to telecommute. Often IT-related firm (e.g. AT&T, IBM)

Government – US govt. encourages telework internally. But externally….

Mainly based on cost, worker benefit perspective, not environment.

Teleconferencing, paperless office, e-commerce

Adoption driven by economic factors. Business slump sometimes helps travel substitution with teleconference.

Paperless office not yet adopted on wide scale

Efforts to reduce packaging in e-commerce shipments.

Rebound effects

Main relevant policy to date is energy taxes, high in some countries.

But…do not apply to imported manufactured goods.

What kinds of policies to address sustainable consumption?

IT for air/water management

Malaysian example: GIS used to identify source of local quality problem (septic tanks) in Putrajaya . Combination of national, local and firm action to correct.

Wide variety of activities to adopt GIS and other information enhancers in the industrializing world.

Summary

Reasonable degree of action to manage waste IT, though little addressing reuse. E-waste trade still open issue.

Relatively little concerted action to promote environmental benefits of IT nor control rebound effects: mainly driven by economic and social forces.