Press Release: ICT sector to lead the way on climate and energy targets, says European Commission

On 9 October 2009 the European Commission called on Europe's information and communication technologies (ICT) industry to outline by 2011 the practical steps it will take to become 20% more energy efficient by 2015. ICT equipment and services alone account for about 8% of electrical power used in the EU and about 2% of carbon emissions. But using ICT in a smart way could help reducing energy consumption in energy-hungry sectors such as buildings, transport and logistics, and save 15% in total carbon emissions by 2020. The Commission recommended that the ICT sector adopts bold energy efficiency targets by 2011. It also asked EU countries to agree on common specifications for smart metering by the end of 2010.