Plea for a Holistic Analysis of the Relationship between Information Technology and Carbon-Dioxide Emissions

Abstract:
An analysis of the relationship between information technology (IT) and carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions should not be constrained to an analysis of emissions caused during the operation of IT equipment. Rather, an analysis of emissions should be based on a full life-cycle assessment (LCA) of IT systems, from their conception until their recycling. Also, the reduction of emissions through the use of IT systems should not be forgotten. This paper explains these viewpoints in more detail and provides rough life-cycle analyses of personal computers (PCs). It will be shown that - for standard scenarios - emissions from PC production are exceeding those of their shipment and use. This stresses the importance of using PCs as long as possible.