ICT targets 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

A new International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standard highlights that compliance with the Paris Agreement will require the information and communication technology (ICT) industry to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45 percent from 2020 to 2030.
   
The standard will support ICT companies in reducing GHG emissions at the rate necessary to meet the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°c above pre-industrial levels.
    
The recommended emission-reduction targets are the first targets specific to the ICT industry to be approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi).The ITU standard – ITU L.1470 “GHG emissions trajectories for the ICT sector compatible with the UNFCCC Paris Agreement,” was developed in collaboration with the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), GSMA and SBTi. It is supported by associ​ated Guidance for ICT Companies setting Science-Based Targets.