ICT - The Internet of Things could save 9bn tons of carbon

A network of smart devices could cut carbon by almost a fifth and create a $1trillion industry to boot, argues a major new report from the nonprofit organisation Carbon War Room and telco AT&T.The report forecasts that the current crop of 108 million wireless connected devices and sensors will grow by 23% a year over the next seven years, to hit $948bn business, in business worth, by 2020. Carbon savings come from actions which may seem trivial but add up to a lot: lowering air conditioner temperature in high-rise buildings by a few degrees in summer, an optimal route taken by truck drivers, container ships loaded more efficiently, or crops getting just the right amount of water. The authors claim that a smart grid-enabled energy industry could save 2 billion tons of carbon by 2020, transportation another 1.9 billion, and buildings and farms, 1.6 billion tons each.