ICTSUS601: Sustainability in ICT Planning and Design Report

This report delves into the critical importance of sustainability within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. It begins with an introduction to sustainability, emphasizing the need to meet current needs without compromising future resource availability. The report highlights the importance of sustainability in the ICT sector, covering topics such as energy-efficient servers, cloud computing benefits, and the use of eco-friendly materials. It explores sustainable ICT equipment, including the use of fewer materials, reduced energy degradation, and waste reduction. Furthermore, the report examines the intersection of ICT and sustainability across various dimensions, including social and environmental aspects, as well as ICT's role in facilitating sustainable networks and innovation. It discusses ethical considerations related to sustainable development, including intergenerational justice. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for sustainable practices within the ICT industry, including life cycle assessments, and integrating sustainability into decision-making processes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE
ICT INDUSTRY:

AGENDA:
 INTRODUCTION
 IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINIBILITY IN ICT
 ICT EQUIPMENTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
 ICT AND SUSTAINABILITY
 ICT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
 ETHICS RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ICT ROLES
 GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
 CONCLUSION.

INTRODUCTION:
Sustainability is developing the needs of present generation without
making concessions for the future to meet the demands regarding
resources.
Sustainable ICT requires the involvement of business sectors,
multinational companies to make the environment they work in- free
of waste that might harm the environmental balance or excessive
degradation of resources.

IMPORTANCE OF
SUSTAINIBILITY IN ICT :
 IT Sector Sustainability Ranking: Setting up fewer but more efficient servers
to save energy. Substantial energy saving can be done by virtualizing the
servers which reduces the number of computers but the efficiency increases.
 Saving energy with the usage of Cloud Computing: Sharing storage with the
cloud enables smaller devices like mobile phones to store massive amount of
data which cuts the use of devices that are larger which in return can save
energy.
 Eco-Friendly Materials usage: Green IT believes in recycling of existing
materials because there is a great wastage of water and raw materials like toxic
metals while production.

ICT EQUIPMENT’S FOR
SUSTAINIBILITY:
 Fewer material usage: The thin client ICT like metals that are semi-precious
and require process of water or any natural resources less.
Example: smaller laptops/notebooks
 Less Degradation of Energy: ICT equipment's that are sustainable are made
using a very less energy or from a renewable resources. ICT that are
sustainable require less energy hence no degradation of energy happens.
 Less Waste: ICT equipment's produce less waste while creation as well as
when disposed off. Waste like water, energy, resources as so on.

ICT AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Various ICT and sustainability areas are:
 ICT with regards to social sustainability
 ICT is cross cutting as well as pervasive
 The key enabler in the creation of sustainable network is ICT
 ICT holds information and knowledge.
 ICT reduces the transaction cost which is sustainable
 ICT enhances the efficiency in business/ environmental sectors
 ICT can enables innovation.

ICT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY:
 ICT has a great impact on the environment and if environmental footprint can
be reduced by implementing measures like paperless offices and decreased
power consumption and waste that are hazardous .
 The use of ICT effects the environment hence ICT needs to switch the
environment to the virtual world by using virtual goods, virtual tele-working
etcetera to reduce the waste reduction and stop the emission of CO2e gas that
can seriously harm the environment.

ETHICS RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT AND ICT ROLES:
 There are two ethical claims,
o Meeting the current need- intergenerational justice
o Not comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs-
intergenerational justice
 ICT is the part of the solution and problem when it comes to sustainable
development, whether it be in devices used in organizations, business sectors
goals or simply energy usages.

GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT(ICT):

CONCLUSION:
 Sustainability in the ICT industry provides a recognition of the embeddedness
and pervasiveness if ICT’s within a progressively digital society.
 ICT involves the concept of sustainable development that starts with,
o ICT interactions with respect to sustainable development
o ICT lifecycle quantifications, measures of ICT applications and ICT changes
societal structures that is economic system
o Embedding these analysis in decision making behaviors and societal
disclosure.