Green ICT: Small components with a big impact

Information and communication technology (ICT) is the foundation for many major future markets, such as artificial intelligence (AI), new mobility and smart homes. But as the industry grows, so do its CO2 emissions. In a new study, experts from the "Green ICT @ FMD" competence center have forecast the future climate impact of ICT in data centers, telecommunications and households. Dr. Nils F. Nissen presented the first results at the "MikroSystemTechnik-Kongress" 2023.

A large part of our digital world is determined by ICT (information and communication technology), which permeates our everyday and working lives: from smartphones and smart home applications to special sensor systems for the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies enrich and simplify our lives. At the same time, demand is increasing, and so is data and energy consumption. This means that ICT products have a significant impact on the environment, both in their use and in their manufacture. Green ICT @ FMD, a competence center for resource-conscious ICT funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is working on a study to identify the potential savings in the production and use of ICT components.

"Green ICT @ FMD" provides first insights into future ICT savings potential

In the study, experts led by Dr. Nils F. Nissen of Fraunhofer IZM in Berlin conclude that absolute CO2-equivalent emissions from ICT use will rise to around 20 million tons by 2030. Depending on the development of total emissions, this could account for four percent of Germany's greenhouse gas emissions in 2030.

In the "Carbon Footprint of ICT in Germany" study, the researchers looked specifically at the emissions of CO2 equivalents and the energy consumed in the use and production of ICT in Germany. They also calculated how future market developments will most likely determine the number of devices in each year of the forecast. Using product data on power consumption and a defined usage pattern, the power consumption of individual products is calculated for each year of use. Assuming a certain CO2 emission factor for the electricity mix, the CO2 intensity of ICT in the use phase was then calculated. Together with the CO2 balance of the product's manufacture, this gives the total emissions of a product category. To determine the overall balance, an extrapolation is made using the annual inventory figures and the specific environmental data from the manufacturing and use phases. Technological developments are also taken into account in the environmental data.

The first results of the study show a significant increase in electricity consumption after 2020, driven by the higher volume of data in telecommunications networks and the increasing number and capacity utilization of data centers. In the household sector, the experts at the Competence Center predict a slight increase in consumption after a significant decline until around 2019. In 2030, more than 30 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases will be produced in the aforementioned application areas - telecommunications, data centers and households - some 50 percent more than in 2021. The production of the ICTs studied will account for about one-third of the emissions, at just under 11 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, while about two-thirds of the emissions will occur during the use phase. The study will be expanded in the future to include more products from the application areas of trade, commerce and services, as well as building automation and IoT.

Green ICT innovations help the climate and Germany as a business location

The Green ICT @ FMD competence center focuses on the evaluation and subsequent improvement of the resource consumption of sensor edge cloud systems, energy-saving communication infrastructures and resource-optimized electronics production processes. In addition to central data processing infrastructures (cloud), modern networked ICT systems have increasing capacities for data collection and processing at the edge of the network. This opens up more opportunities to optimize data processing and transmission processes between the cloud and the edge, thereby minimizing resource consumption when using ICT. The researchers see further savings potential in the development of high-performance networks such as 5G and 6G, but especially in the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the production of microelectronic components.

In addition, direct support as the first point of contact for SMEs and start-ups, the training and further education of specialists and the close networking of all relevant stakeholders play a central role in the work of the competence center. Examples of this broad range of services include the "Green ICT Space", an accelerator for sustainable start-ups and SMEs, the "Green ICT Award" for outstanding dissertations in the field of sustainable ICT, and the networking event "Green ICT Connect".

With future forecasts, intensive research and development on a technological level and accompanying activities, the competence center addresses the central areas that are necessary for a sustainable future of ICT in Germany.

Creative, digital, intelligent

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector as well as the media and creative industries are the innovation drivers in the capital region. Not only do they have a huge impact on other industries, but they also make Berlin and Brandenburg an ideal location for digital transformation.

The regional ICT, media and creative industries cluster offers excellent expertise and competence in the field of digitalization and operates within the guidelines of the Berlin and Brandenburg Innovation Strategy. The cluster comprises more than 50,000 companies from business and science and spans 12 industry sectors ranging from ICT, games and Web 2.0, film, fashion and music to publishing, advertising, communications and PR agencies. A focus on technology and creativity are the main characteristics of the cluster in both states. 

For more information on the economic development of growth industries in the region and on business and technology development for companies, investors and scientific institutions, please contact

Melanie Gartzke I melanie.gartzke(at)airport-region.de

Source: Press release Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics in cooperation with the Leibniz Institutes FBH and IHP "Small components with a big impact: More Sustainability in ICT through Microelectronics Research and Development", October 26, 2023