Policy - Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate change is a crisis resulting in environmental, economic, and social challenges that demand an immediate and meaningful global response from all sectors of society. Information and communications technology will continue to play an important role in combatting climate change by applying technology products and services across our value chain, sharing best practices, and supporting U.S. government policies that increase relevant public and private sector collaboration and advance the United States’ climate ambitions.
ITI strongly supports international cooperation and partnership on addressing climate change, and welcomed the United States’ re-entry into the Paris Agreement of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and support the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of climate change solutions and social equity.
Accelerating the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy will produce multiple benefits for economic growth, public health, increasing resilience to natural disasters, and the health of the global environment. Tech-enabled efficiency and decarbonization solutions provide carbon reduction opportunities to other sectors of the economy. Further, investment in innovative technologies and in jobs creation needed to mitigate and address climate change will not only help address and minimize the impacts of climate change, it will also support global economic competitiveness and promote investments that help avoid irreversible damage to our economies, societies and planet.
Importantly, ITI is a committed partner to ensuring the U.S. government’s climate policies are implemented equitably and leverage innovation to mitigate inequity, address environmental racism, and curtail future health disparities.
For its advocacy, ITI is focused on addressing both the industry’s footprint – direct carbon emissions and impacts from the ICT industry – and handprint – carbon reductions in other sectors enabled by the ICT industry.
Addressing Industry’s Footprint: Direct Carbon Emissions and Impacts from the ICT Industry
To address industry’s climate footprint, ITI recommend that U.S. policies – both for government and industry – reflect mandatory targets that meet or exceed recommendations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Further, ITI supports government investment in clean technologies, infrastructure, and programs, such as:
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Utilities generating 100% zero-carbon electricity and other energy commodities.
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Energy efficiency standards for new homes and commercial buildings.
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Development of energy efficient products.
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Accelerated electrification of the energy system, especially in buildings and transportation segments and resilient infrastructure
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Incentives, including tax incentives, to promote rapid development and deployment of clean and efficient energy technologies.
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Initiatives that draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, including biological efforts and emerging technologies.
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Public-private partnerships in technology development and education.
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Elimination of regulatory and market barriers to the deployment of emissions reduction technologies and low-carbon energy.
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Increased funding and research to support communities to advance climate resilience and adaptation
Addressing Industry’s Handprint: Carbon Reductions in Other Sectors Realized by the ICT industry
To address the climate impact of other industries utilizing ICT industry tools, also known as industry’s handprint, ITI advocates for prioritization and investment in areas such as:
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ICT-enabled efficiency and decarbonization solutions the help to reduce the climate footprint of other sectors of the economy.1
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Smart grids, artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent transportation systems, electrification, smart manufacturing, building management systems, smart cities, the internet of things (IoT), and Blockchain solutions to increase efficiency throughout the economy.
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Policies that promote the role of ICT in reducing the footprint of other segments of the economy.
Resources
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RILA & ITI State Clean Energy Procurement Index January 2017 (January 10, 2017)
RILA & ITI State Clean Energy Procurement Index January 2017 ranking, for the first time, the ease at which tech and retail companies can procure clean energy by state.
Techwonk Blog
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Tech’s Role in Addressing Climate Change (April 19, 2021)
Ahead of Earth Week, ITI hosted White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and former EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, who is the Vice President, Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives at Apple, ...
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ITI Endorses Internet of Things Energy Efficiency Principles for Networked Devices (February 26, 2016)
The world is abuzz with curiosity about what the future will be like as we connect cars, appliances, even entire cities with the Internet of Things (IoT). This technology evolution will usher in new opportunities ...
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COP21: Tech Commits to Finding Climate Change Solutions (December 03, 2015)
As world leaders, business executives, the scientific community, and others meet in Paris for the COP-21 summit it is clear that the question is no longer whether our climate is changing, but how do we ...
News Releases
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Biden Administration Takes Crucial Steps Toward Solving Climate Change (April 22, 2021)
WASHINGTON – Today, global tech trade association ITI issued the following statement from its President and CEO Jason Oxman welcoming the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to address climate ...
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New Report: States with Strong Domestic Clean Energy Choices are Creating Jobs and Economic Growth (January 10, 2017)
WASHINGTON - A groundbreaking study undertaken for the first time and jointly released today by the nation’s retail and technology industries concludes that states that are investing in clean domestic ...