Study on the practical application of the new framework methodology for measuring the environmental impact of ICT - cost/benefit analysis (SMART 2012/0064)

The objective of this study was to support the Commission in identifying the most promising options for integrating the methodologies that are applied for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy footprint of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), into concrete environmental policy measures. Furthermore, the study performed a cost-benefit analysis for each identified option in order to analyse benefits and risks for enterprises implementing these measures, while putting a special emphasis on small and medium-scale enterprises (SME). The overarching objectives were to provide key input to the Commission in its decision-making process for defining relevant policy measures for "greening" the ICT products and services, and to create a level-playing field so that customers of ICT solutions - be they public or private customers - can compare the performance of different solutions with one another and make well-informed purchasing choices.