The real climate and transformative impact of ICT: A critique of estimates, trends, and regulations

Main text(Patterns 2, 1–18; September 10, 2021)In the originally published version of this article, the authors inadvertently cited an incorrect source for the following statement: “…and a study commissioned by the EC anticipates that ‘the energy consumption of data centers and telecommunication networks will grow with an alarming rate of 35% and 150% respectively over 9 years’ (from 2018).90’ The correct reference [90] is European Commission (2018). Expert and stakeholder consultation workshop on Research on Green ICT 2020-2030. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/expert-and-stakeholder-consultation-workshop-research-green-ict-2020-2030. The original reference [90] should instead be [95] and all subsequent references renumbered accordingly.These errors have now been corrected online, and the authors apologize for any confusion they may have caused. Main text(Patterns 2, 1–18; September 10, 2021)In the originally published version of this article, the authors inadvertently cited an incorrect source for the following statement: “…and a study commissioned by the EC anticipates that ‘the energy consumption of data centers and telecommunication networks will grow with an alarming rate of 35% and 150% respectively over 9 years’ (from 2018).90’ The correct reference [90] is European Commission (2018). Expert and stakeholder consultation workshop on Research on Green ICT 2020-2030. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/expert-and-stakeholder-consultation-workshop-research-green-ict-2020-2030. The original reference [90] should instead be [95] and all subsequent references renumbered accordingly.These errors have now been corrected online, and the authors apologize for any confusion they may have caused. (Patterns 2, 1–18; September 10, 2021) In the originally published version of this article, the authors inadvertently cited an incorrect source for the following statement: “…and a study commissioned by the EC anticipates that ‘the energy consumption of data centers and telecommunication networks will grow with an alarming rate of 35% and 150% respectively over 9 years’ (from 2018).90’ The correct reference [90] is European Commission (2018). Expert and stakeholder consultation workshop on Research on Green ICT 2020-2030. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/expert-and-stakeholder-consultation-workshop-research-green-ict-2020-2030. The original reference [90] should instead be [95] and all subsequent references renumbered accordingly. These errors have now been corrected online, and the authors apologize for any confusion they may have caused. The real climate and transformative impact of ICT: A critique of estimates, trends, and regulationsFreitag et al.PatternsSeptember 10, 2021In BriefWe examine peer-reviewed estimates of ICT's GHG emissions, which put ICT's share of global GHG emissions at 1.8%–2.8%, yet find the actual share could be as high as 2.1%–3.9% when adjusting for truncation of supply chain pathways. We explore the reasons why current estimates vary, provide three reasons why ICT's emissions will likely increase without intervention, and outline the changes required to policy and industry targets to keep ICT's emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.