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SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SPEED OF AT LIGHT SUSTAINABILITY Over the last few years, information technology’s This report is a contribution from WWF to the impact on society has become a hot topic. It is clear discussion about ICT in tomorrow’s society. We have that over the next couple of years information and asked some of the best experts in the world to cont- communication technologies (ICT) will affect and ribute with a chapter in which they describe the role reshape most parts of our society. ICT will come to of ICT for Sustainable Development in their respec- radically influence the global economy, and, to an tive fields. The report is an attempt to bridge the gap unknown degree, our culture and the way we percei- between the ICT experts and the policy makers in ve the world, our relationship to it, and our actions. politics and business. It is WWFs firm belief that Although ICT will have an enormous effect these groups, together with the rest of society, need on tomorrow’s society, surprisingly little research to talk more frequently and openly to each other if has been conducted regarding its future environ- we want to create a sustainable framework for the arlstad, Sweden mental consequences. Most of the work that has ICT-development. been done has reached one of two opposing con- clusions: either ICT will bring only good things, from solutions to world hunger and the elimination of all transportation problems to a revitalised democra- cy; or it will bring nothing but problems, accelera- ting resource consumption, introducing new toxic materials and resulting in greater inequity by intro- ducing a digital divide that will worsen the already unequal distribution of wealth and influence. The first challenge, if we want to tackle the challenges surrounding ICT for the future, is to go DENNIS PAMLIN beyond this polarised perspective. WWF Sweden Ulriksdals slott 170 81 Solna Sweden Tel: +46 8 626 74 00 WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live Fax: +46 8 85 13 29 in harmony with nature, by: Conserving the world's biological diversity. Ensuring that the use of renewable natural www.wwf.se DAVID REJESKI JOSEPH ROMM JAMES N LEVITT NEVIN COHEN PETER ARNFALK THOMAS LANGROCK HERMAN OTT resources is sustainable. Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. www.panda.org AB Knappen, K owner / Tryckeri Trademark Wildlife Fund) ® WWF Registered (Formerly World Wide Fund For Nature © 1986, WWF World THOMAS DWORAK RAUL ZAMBRANO MONA AFIFI ANDERS WIJKMAN KALLE LASN EDITED BY DENNIS PAMLIN Photo © WWF-Canon/Roger LEGUEN Speed of Light? isbn 91-89272-08-0 Published July 2002 by WWF Sweden The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of WWF. Any inaccuracies in the report remain the responsibility of the authors. The material and the geographical designations in this report do not imply the expression of an opinion whatsoever on the part of WWF, concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. For comments and/or queries on this report, please contact: Dennis Pamlin Global Policy Advisor WWF Ulriksdals slott 170 81 Solna Sweden email: [email protected] 1 SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR TOMORROW’S SOCIETY EDITED BY DENNIS PAMLIN SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT FOREWORD FOREWORD It is in the context of the state of emergency constituted by the ecological catas- trophe threatening our planet that we should approach Information and Com- munication Technology (ICT). ICT is in many ways a unique technology. It has the characteristic of a threshold technology, with the potential to rapidly change the whole structure of society and reshape the way we organise our economy, in much the same manner as did inventions of the last century such as the internal combustion engine. With its growth, ICT will have a major impact on how we live, work, spend our leisure time and even think. These characteristics make ICT impossible to ignore if we want to shift towards a sustainable society. Many of the world’s current ecological, social and economic trends are unsustainable, and some of the most beautiful places on earth are being destroyed. A large number of species are threatened with extinction, and we see pollution contaminating the earth, the atmosphere, freshwater and the oceans, which ultimately sustain life here on earth. This is happening at the same time as we produce more goods then ever before, whilst knowing more about the linkage between the way our economy works and the unwanted consequences. ICT is a tool that constitutes a new infrastructure that will change the way our societies function, and its technical applications will give us totally new opportunities to both preserve the best elements of our society, and develop new and better solutions. As a whole, ICT is best viewed as a catalyst that can speed up current trends or contribute to a shift towards sustainable develop- ment. No one knows specifically what role it will play in the future, but we know that it will be significant and that our decisions today will influence the direction in which it will develop. SUSTAThis report is a contribution from WWF to the discussion on the role of ICT in tomorrow’s society, a discussion that is too often based more on preju- dice than facts. We have tried to describe and summarise the most important challenges for the future, asking some of the best experts in the world to con- tribute a chapter to describe the future role of ICT for sustainable development in their respective fields. The report should be read as an attempt to bridge the gap between ICT experts and policy makers in politics and business, as well as other stakeholders in society. It is WWFs firm belief that these groups need to talk more frequently and openly to each other if we want to create a sustainable framework for ICT-development. 2 3 Finally, it is crucial to highlight that no matter what short-term changes we will see in the economy, ICT will play a crucial role in tomorrow’s society. We can- not afford to make the same mistake we made during the last period of rapid industrial change during the first half of the twentieth century, when the exist- ing transportation and energy infrastructure was built. During that period, environmental issues were almost non-existent. This time we must think before the infrastructure is in place and adopt a global perspective so as to ensure that our legacy is beneficial to future generations. WWF will continue to use its network to influence the discussions about the development of ICT, with the aim of contributing to a change towards a more sustainable direction. However, we cannot make much of a difference on our own, and hope for help from all parts of society towards the ultimate goal of sustainable development. Meanwhile, we will continue our work to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. July 2002 Prof. Lars Kristoferson Dr. Claude Martin Secretary General Director General AINABwwf sweden wwf international SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT TABLE OF CONTENT SPE 4 5 TABLE OF CONTENT Foreword by Lars Kristoferson and Claude Martin 2 Introduction A report about ICT and Sustainability 6 Dennis Pamlin Contributions Anticipations 12 David Rejeski The Internet and the new energy economy 30 Joseph Romm The Internet as conservation activist 52 James N. Levitt E-commerce and the environment 62 Nevin Cohen Can virtual meetings replace business travel? 76 Peter Arnfalk Environmental friendly ICT-products 96 Thomas Langrock, Herman Ott and Thomas Dworak ICT for development: Facing the policy challenges 110 Raul Zambrano Technology leapfrogging and the digital divide 124 Mona Afifi and Anders Wijkman Citizens or egoistic cyber consumers 144 Kalle Lasn Conclusions Opportunities and challenges for Tomorrow’s Society 156 Dennis Pamlin Contributors 192 EEDAcknowledgements 196 Recommended reading 197 SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT INTRODUCTION INTA REPORT ABOUT ICT AND SUSTAINABILITY DENNIS PAMLIN 6 7 ”Two over-riding trends characterize the beginning of the third millennium. First, the global human ecosystem is threatened by grave imbalances in productivity and in the dis- tribution of goods and services. A significant proportion of humanity still lives in dire poverty, and projected trends are for an increasing divergence between those that benefit from economic and technological development, and those that do not. This unsustainable progression of extremes of wealth and poverty threatens the stability of the whole human system, and with it the global environment. Secondly, the world is undergoing accelerating change, with internationally-coordinated environmental stewardship lagging behind economic and social development. Environ- mental gains from new technology and policies are being overtaken by the pace and scale of population growth and economic development. The processes of globalisation that are so strongly influencing social evolution need to be directed towards resolving rather than aggravating the serious imbalances that divide the world today.” Global Environment Outlook UNEP, 2000 For the past few years, information technology and the so-called new economy have been intensely discussed. Many different views exist, but there is no doubt that over the next couple of years information and communication tech- nologies (ICT) will come to affect and reshape most parts of our society. Whether we like it or not, ICT will radically influence transport patterns, ener- gy consumption, overall resource usage and, to an unknown degree, our cul- ture and even the way we perceive the world, our relationship to it, and our actions as dictated by these new mores.