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Climate Change

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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:

  • Utilities generating 100% zero-carbon electricity and other energy commodities.

  • Energy efficiency standards for new homes and commercial buildings.

  • Development of energy efficient products.

  • Accelerated electrification of the energy system, especially in buildings and transportation segments and resilient infrastructure

  • Incentives, including tax incentives, to promote rapid development and deployment of clean and efficient energy technologies.

  • Initiatives that draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, including biological efforts and emerging technologies.

  • Public-private partnerships in technology development and education.

  • Elimination of regulatory and market barriers to the deployment of emissions reduction technologies and low-carbon energy.

  • 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:

  • ICT-enabled efficiency and decarbonization solutions the help to reduce the climate footprint of other sectors of the economy.1

  • 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.

  • Policies that promote the role of ICT in reducing the footprint of other segments of the economy.

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