The Council
took note of the outcome of the second edition of the high-level event on
information and communication technologies for energy efficiency that took
place in Brussels on 23 and 24 February. On 9 October 2009 the Commission
adopted a recommendation on this subject.
It recommends
that the Information and Communication Technologies sector:
- commits to a
progressive decarbonisation process leading to a measurable and verifiable
reduction in energy intensity and carbon emissions of all processes involved
in the production, transport and sales of ICT equipment and components;
- participates,
through its sector associations, in an exercise to be initiated by the European
Commission that aims to: (a) develop a framework to measure its energy
and environmental performance, for which the sector will be expected to
contribute the baseline data by 2010;(b) adopt and implement common
methodologies to this end by 2011; (c) identify, by 2011, energy
efficiency targets that aim to exceed the EU 2020 targets by 2015; (d)
issue a roadmap within three months of adoption of this Recommendation,
thereafter annual reports;
- works with
the European Commission and other relevant public bodies and international
organisations in order to develop an auditing and verification framework
assessing whether and how energy intensity and carbon emissions reduction
targets will be met by individual companies.
- in close
cooperation with the buildings and construction sector identifies ICT solutions
to improve the environmental and energy performance of new and existing
buildings, and construction and renovation practices, leading to a joint
roadmap for large-scale adoption of such solutions.
- in close
cooperation with the buildings and construction sector addresses barriers
to the wider use of ICT modelling and simulation tools and other relevant
applications that facilitate and assist compliance with applicable regulatory
regimes governing buildings performance.
- in close
cooperation with the transport and logistics sector identifies ICT solutions
to improve the environmental and energy performance of their services;
- in close
cooperation with the transport and logistics sector drafts a systematic framework
to provide comprehensive, comparable and reliable data on the energy
consumption and carbon emissions of freight and transport operations and
services to all potential users.
The Member
States are invited to:
- by the end of 2010 at the
latest, agree on a common minimum functional specification for smart
metering that focuses on providing consumers with improved information
on, and improved capabilities to manage, their energy consumption; (b)
by the end of 2012 at the latest, set up a coherent timeframe for the
rollout of smart metering;
- adopt and implement
procurement practices that leverage the strength of public sector demand
to promote the dematerialisation of ICT goods and services.
- facilitate, at all levels of
administration, the use of relevant ICT tools to better understand the
implications of different policies and avoid negative spill-over effects
from their interaction.
- encourage the use of energy
simulation and modelling in the education and training of professionals
in critical sectors, in particular: (a) architects, builders and
installers; (b) energy auditors; (c) logistics and the transport of
goods or persons; (d) public services, planning and policy functions;
- pursue strategies for the
roll-out of a dependable, high-speed, broadband infrastructure to
facilitate monitoring and management of consumption, distribution and
production of energy including renewables, and the introduction of
community-wide systems such as smart metering, smart-grids and
smart-cities;
- make use of open digital platforms
to facilitate an integrated approach to urban planning;
- inform the
Commission of action taken in response to this Recommendation within 12
months of its publication, and once a year thereafter.