The need for a sustainability framework for the heritage sector

This is blog 2 in the blog series about Green IT.

This blog post is the second part of an introduction to Green IT. In the first part we gave a definition of Green IT and emphasised how the ICT sector has a negative impact on the environment due to its high energy consumption, the use of non-renewable resources, and the considerable amount of electronic waste. But we also showed how digitalisation can contribute positively to environmental issues. In this blog post we discuss the relationship between CO2 emissions and climate change, the consequences thereof, and how all of this affects the heritage sector.

Impact of CO2 emission on climate change

The amount of energy consumed throughout the lifecycle of IT causes a considerable amount of CO2 emissions. Carbon dioxide, abbreviated as CO2, is the best-known greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

In 2021, this gas represented nearly 80% of all greenhouse emissions in the EU (1). CO2 in the atmosphere creates an insulating blanket around our planet, resulting in rising temperatures. Moreover, CO2 is difficult to break down and can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years.

Human behaviour is the root cause

Greenhouse gases have a considerable impact on our life environment. This is expressed in part through changes in the climate over the course of time. Although natural factors also play a role, it is now evident that human activities are the principal driving force behind climate change.

The recent sixth climate report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2) states it point-blank: mankind is causing an unprecedented rapid warming of the Earth. The only way to limit global heating and to avoid the worst scenarios is by reducing greenhouse gas emissions fast and on a large scale.

Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, the new Dutch climate delegate on behalf of the Dutch national government, says: “With this IPCC report we now have a crystal clear, scientifically underpinned wake-up call for the international community. The report demonstrates unequivocally what is causing global heating. It is us. This is an alarm bell: no place on Earth will be spared the consequences of climate change.” (3)

Visible effects of climate change

The effects of climate change are both visible and tangible: think of the wildfires in southern Europe, the summer storms in the Netherlands, the floods in Slovenia, Austria and Switzerland, hail stones in northern Italy the size of tennis balls, and severe weather in the Scandinavian countries. And that’s only looking at the effects close to home, in rich countries.

The effects of climate change in other parts of the world are many times worse. It is estimated that between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people live in areas that are strongly affected by climate change. Less developed countries are particularly vulnerable to climate hazards. Millions of people are now exposed to acute food insecurity and reduced water security in precisely those areas, as a result of extreme climate and weather events.

ICT sector and climate change: a growing problem

The consequences of climate change are visibly increasing. At the same time, ICT use is continuing to grow, adding to a negative impact on the climate. In the article New perspectives on internet electricity use, researchers point out the challenge of making accurate predictions about the global ICT-related energy consumption. The reason is that it is impossible to take account of factors that are still unknown or uncertain (4). Think, for example, of the rapid ascent of new technologies such as ChatGPT.

Debate about the figures, definitions and methods

Understanding the figures that underpin the economic and climate impact of the ICT sector is a challenge, both nationally and internationally. Research conducted by the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communication (5) reveals a lack of understanding and transparency with respect to the available research data, and the definitions and research methods that are used.

But researchers do agree on one thing

There is a risk that debates on figures and methods hamper us in taking further steps towards solutions. However, the vast majority of researchers do agree that, regardless of the definitions we apply, the amount of data will continue to increase exponentially in the coming years. This means that the upward trend of the past 10 years will most probably continue unabated. (We will further examine this growth of data in the next blog post).

The growth of digital data is the direct result of technological progress, particularly through cloud computing and the rapid growth of internet services. The use of artificial intelligence is moreover expected to increase massively, leading to a further increase in energy consumption. Looking at the figures, in 2007 the ICT sector was estimated to have used 3.9% of the electricity available worldwide. This had grown to 4.6% by 2012, and is expected to have increased much further to over 13% by 2030 (6).

High time, therefore, to take action.

The need for a sustainability framework for the heritage sector

In the article A strong Sustainability Framework for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Introducing the Eco-Sufficiency Perspective, the authors powerfully summarise why the heritage sector needs to devote attention to Green IT (7). They emphasise that the growing consequences of climate change form one of the main threats to the preservation of our cultural heritage.

At the same time, the authors acknowledge the dual nature of IT, as discussed in the previous blog. They see digitalisation as a promising means of risk control in the heritage sector, but stress that the associated infrastructure causes considerable environmental pressure and contributes to a worsening of the climate.

Tackling these issues therefore requires developing a strong sustainability framework for the preservation of cultural heritage through digitalisation, say the authors. This framework should strive to strike an optimum balance between the least possible environmental impact and the greatest possible capacity to preserve heritage.

Blog series about Green IT and the heritage sector

In this blog series we highlight various aspects that are relevant to the heritage sector. The following themes will be addressed in this series:

● Storage: How is digital storage developing? What is the impact of cloud storage? And what sustainable storage techniques exist as an alternative to cloud storage in the heritage sector?

● New technology: What is the impact of new technologies applied within the heritage sector on the climate (consider for instance artificial intelligence and similar technologies, and blockchain)?

● Green software: What is sustainable software (minimal computing) and how can you implement this in your organisation? Would it be feasible and compulsory to apply this criterion when looking at sustainable file formats for long-term archiving?

● User’s dilemmas: How can a heritage institution offer services to the user, taking account of the climate impact of the same services in relation to ease of use? Among other things, we will be looking at the use of eco-friendly websites.

We can turn the tide

The challenges associated with Green IT, as discussed in the two introductory blog posts, are immense. Still, recent developments indicate that the ICT sector is determined to tackle environmental issues. Several leading tech companies have signed statements of intent to become entirely climate neutral. The sector is also investing considerable resources in innovation and research into possible measures to achieve these goals.

As the heritage sector, we can also contribute importantly to achieving these goals. Just like the ICT sector, we should embrace a positive-critical approach to tackling environmental issues. We need to strive toward future-ready, green policy principles and practices. This blog series aims to contribute to that. So please, join us.

Sources

1. European Parliament News, ‘Klimaatverandering in Europa: feiten en cijfers’, last edited on 27 March 2023.

2. IPCC, ‘Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report, Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’.

3. Dutch government, ‘Het moment voor klimaatactie is nu. Elke graad telt.’, web blog message posted on 20 August 2021.

4. Andrae, Anders, ‘New perspectives on Internet electricity use in 2030’ In: Engineering and Applied Science Letter, vol. 3 (2020), Issue 2, pp. 19-31.

5. Finish Ministry of Transport and Communications, ‘Climate and Environmental Strategy for the ICT Sector, published in 2021.

6. Heddegem, Van Ward et al., ‘Trends in worldwide ICT electricity consumption from 2007 to 2012’, In: Computer Communications, vol. 50 (1 September 2014), pp. 64-76.

7. Paschalidou, Evangelina et al., ‘A Strong Sustainability Framework for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Introducing the Eco-Sufficiency Perspective’, In: Heritage 2022, 5, 1066-1088.