63.5
Gigatons CO₂ will be
emitted world wide by 2030
SMARTer for the climate
Humans and environment have something in common: Both profit from smart technologies. Why the future belongs to smart, interconnected solutions.
S martphones, tablets, computers – they all play a key role in our personal and working lives. Although they devour huge quantities of energy, they can also help to protect the environment. But how exactly can they do this? Climate change, or to be more precise, global warming, is one of the biggest challenges of our times. In order to prevent the dangerous effects of climate change, the global-average temperature must not rise by more than the two-degree Celsius limit. It is already 0.8°C warmer than at the start of industrialization. This demonstrates the enormity of the challenge of climate change.
In this context, information and communication technologies have a major role to play, as shown in the SMARTer2030 study from 2015: ICT can be used to save around 20 percent of all CO₂ emissions worldwide by 2030. This is the equivalent of some 12 billion metric tons of CO₂. In this way, the ICT industry can save seven times the volume of emissions it causes itself. According to the SMARTer2030 study, immense savings are possible in particular in the energy industry, manufacturing, services, transport, the building sector, and agriculture.
The global-average temperature must not rise by more than the two-degree Celsius limit
In agriculture alone, 1.6 billion metric tons of CO₂ emissions could be prevented by smart technologies. But how? Satellites, for example, can analyze weather and environmental data to ensure the accuracy of irrigation and fertilization in agriculture. This not only reduces CO₂ emissions, it also makes a substantial contribution to saving valuable resources.
Potential CO₂ savings through ICT solutions in 2030
1.97%CO₂ emissions caused
by ICT sector
20%CO₂ can be saved using
smart ICT solutions
In this context, therefore, ICT companies play a dual role, acting simultaneously as originators and helpers. In the last few years, the ICT sector has grown rapidly, and with it the volume of data saved and transmitted.
The use of computers and the Internet consumes a lot of electricity. But at the same time, innovative ICT applications and technologies help to replace energy- and resource-intensive products and services with more energy-efficient solutions. In this way, ICT enables companies and consumers to be more environmentally friendly and helps them to reduce their carbon footprint. Exactly what an intelligent application can look like can be seen in the smart home solution QIVICON.
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Ventilate and protect the environment
Why waste energy when you're trying to get some fresh air?
Smarthome from Qivicon automatically switches off the
heating when you open a window. -
Think how practical it would be if you didn't need
light switches any more. Smarthome from Qivicon makes
this possible: Lights are only switched on where there
are people in the room. And they switch off automatically
too. This is convenient and saves electricity and money. -
Consume electricity when it is cheap
Energy is cheaper at night than during the daytime. Qivicon
knows when electricity is particularly cheap and turns on power-
hungry appliances like the washing machine at those times.
Living smarter with Qivicon
The idea of pieces of equipment communicating with each other is reminiscent of science-fiction films. But this future scenario is already a reality: With the smart home platform QIVICON, Deutsche Telekom has joined with partners to realize the vision of a connected home. On the basis of QIVICON, a growing number of different pieces of equipment by varying manufacturers can be easily controlled from home or on the move by smartphone, tablet or computer via relevant applications. Never again will you need to worry about whether you left the oven on, or the window open. Qivicon allows you to conveniently check and control your home. A simple command on your smartphone is all it takes - and the oven is switched off. You can even keep a constant eye on your windows while you're out and about. This saves energy, increases security and enhances the comfort of everyday life.