EC eyes tech as key to greener future

The European Commission is backing the use of technology to cut carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency across Europe's economy.

The Commission is promoting the intelligent use of tech to improve efficiency in buildings, lighting and power grids in order to make significant inroads into reducing Europe's carbon footprint.

It wants the IT industry to play a leading role by reducing its own carbon dioxide output, and also to develop technologies that would help other industries do the same.

The Commission feels three areas should be focused on in this work: energy generation and distribution; monitoring of energy consumption in buildings; and moving to more energy-efficient, "intelligent" lighting.

The Commission cites advanced computer servers that use the same amount of energy as a standard light bulb. Wide use of this technology could save up to 70 percent in energy.

Commissioner for information society and media, Viviane Reding, said the move to a high-growth, low-carbon economy is essential to achieve European efficiency goals by 2020.

She added this would be a "win-win situation" as the tech would promote European competitiveness, as well as fight climate change.

It is predicted the EU's energy consumption will rise by as much as 25 percent by 2012 if no action is taken. The IT sector currently accounts for two percent of global CO2 emissions.