ICT for Sustainable Growth

The European Commission aims to make sure ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) contribute to the development of a more sustainable Europe and is, therefore, focusing on Energy Efficiency, Water Management and Climate Change Adaptation.

The Recommendation adopted by the European Commission in 2009 entitled "mobilising Information and Communications Technologies to facilitate the transition to an energy-efficient, low-carbon economy" provides the policy framework for our activities in this area and aims to unlock the energy efficiency potential of the ICT sector in various ways. It calls upon the ICT industry to develop a framework to measure its energy and environmental performance and set itself energy efficiency targets, which has led to the setting up of the ICT for Energy Efficiency Forum by stakeholders. The European Commission has also encouraged the Forum to reach out to other sectors such as buildings and transport where the potential energy savings through ICT are significant.

The European Commission, furthermore, supports a wide range of research and development projects aiming at enhancing energy efficiency, water management and adaptation to climate change through the use of ICT.