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Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Operational Electricity Use in the ICT and Entertainment & Media Sectors

Author

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  • Jens Malmodin
  • Åsa Moberg
  • Dag Lundén
  • Göran Finnveden
  • Nina Lövehagen

Abstract

The positive and negative environmental impacts of information and communication technology (ICT) are widely debated. This study assesses the electricity use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the ICT and entertainment & media (E&M) sectors at sector level, including end users, and thus complements information on the product level. GHGs are studied in a life cycle perspective, but for electricity use, only the operational use is considered. The study also considers which product groups or processes are major contributors. Using available data and extrapolating existing figures to the global scale for 2007 reveals that the ICT sector produced 1.3% of global GHG emissions in 2007 and the E&M sector 1.7%. The corresponding figures for global electricity use were 3.9% and 3.2%, respectively. The results indicate that for the ICT sector, operation leads to more GHG emissions than manufacture, although impacts from the manufacture of some products are significant. For the E&M sector, operation of TVs and production of printed media are the main reasons for overall GHG emissions. TVs as well as printed media, with the estimations made here, led to more GHG emissions on a global level in 2007 than PCs (manufacture and operation). A sector study of this type provides information on a macro scale, a perspective easily lost when considering, for example, the product‐related results of life cycle assessments. The macro scale is essential to capture changes in total consumption and use. However, the potential of the ICT sector to help decrease environmental impacts from other sectors was not included in the assessment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jens Malmodin & Åsa Moberg & Dag Lundén & Göran Finnveden & Nina Lövehagen, 2010. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Operational Electricity Use in the ICT and Entertainment & Media Sectors," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 14(5), pages 770-790, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:14:y:2010:i:5:p:770-790
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00278.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Sakiru Adebola Solarin & Muhammad Shahbaz & Habib Nawaz Khan & Radzuan Bin Razali, 2021. "ICT, Financial Development, Economic Growth and Electricity Consumption: New Evidence from Malaysia," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 22(4), pages 941-962, August.
    2. Zhenbo Zhang & Xiaohua Meng, 2019. "Internet Penetration and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Cross-National Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-12, March.
    3. Zhen Yang & Jinhong Du & Yiting Lin & Zhen Du & Li Xia & Qianchuan Zhao & Xiaohong Guan, 2022. "Increasing the energy efficiency of a data center based on machine learning," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(1), pages 323-335, February.
    4. Jens Malmodin & Dag Lundén, 2018. "The Energy and Carbon Footprint of the Global ICT and E&M Sectors 2010–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-31, August.
    5. Malmodin, Jens & Lövehagen, Nina & Bergmark, Pernilla & Lundén, Dag, 2024. "ICT sector electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions – 2020 outcome," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3).
    6. Galvin, Ray, 2015. "The ICT/electronics question: Structural change and the rebound effect," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 23-31.
    7. Mona Komeijani & Erinn G. Ryen & Callie W. Babbitt, 2016. "Bridging the Gap between Eco-Design and the Human Thinking System," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-16, March.
    8. Radonjič, Gregor & Tompa, Saša, 2018. "Carbon footprint calculation in telecommunications companies – The importance and relevance of scope 3 greenhouse gases emissions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 361-375.
    9. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Yuan, Zihao & Lee, Chi-Chuan, 2023. "A nonlinear analysis of the impacts of information and communication technologies on environmental quality: A global perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    10. Erik Thorstensen, 2019. "Stakeholders’ Views on Responsible Assessments of Assistive Technologies through an Ethical HTA Matrix," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-32, June.
    11. Kopp, Thomas & Nabernegg, Markus & Lange, Steffen, 2023. "The net climate effect of digitalization, differentiating between firms and households," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    12. Ghaemi Asl, Mahdi & Ben Jabeur, Sami, 2024. "Could the Russia-Ukraine war stir up the persistent memory of interconnectivity among Islamic equity markets, energy commodities, and environmental factors?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    13. Zhou, Xiaoyong & Zhou, Dequn & Wang, Qunwei & Su, Bin, 2019. "How information and communication technology drives carbon emissions: A sector-level analysis for China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 380-392.
    14. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Yuan, Zihao & Wang, Qiaoru, 2022. "How does information and communication technology affect energy security? International evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    15. Alemayehu Molla, 2013. "Identifying IT sustainability performance drivers: Instrument development and validation," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 15(5), pages 705-723, November.
    16. Anders S. G. Andrae & Tomas Edler, 2015. "On Global Electricity Usage of Communication Technology: Trends to 2030," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-41, April.
    17. Barbara V. Kasulaitis & Callie W. Babbitt & Andrew K. Krock, 2019. "Dematerialization and the Circular Economy: Comparing Strategies to Reduce Material Impacts of the Consumer Electronic Product Ecosystem," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(1), pages 119-132, February.
    18. Vasan, Arvind & Sood, Bhanu & Pecht, Michael, 2014. "Carbon footprinting of electronic products," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 636-648.
    19. Lange, Steffen & Pohl, Johanna & Santarius, Tilman, 2020. "Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    20. Lin, Boqiang & Huang, Chenchen, 2023. "Nonlinear relationship between digitization and energy efficiency: Evidence from transnational panel data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).

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