Title: Green ICTs: impact on the environmental sustainability

Authors: Kateryna Kononova; Elvira Kovpak

Addresses: Economic Cybernetics and Applied Economics Department, V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University, 1 Mironosyckaya str., Kharkov 61002, Ukraine ' Economic Cybernetics and Applied Economics Department, V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University, 1 Mironosyckaya str., Kharkov 61002, Ukraine

Abstract: In spite of the obvious harmful effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) production and usage, there is also the opposite effect on the environment produced by green ICTs. The aim of study is to investigate the impact of ICTs on environment. The structure of e-indexes has been analysed and found those ones that allowed monitoring ICT impact on the environmental sustainability. The comparative analysis of the e-indexes structure allowed us to define the 'core' of the consolidated e-indexes and its overlap with observed ones. To obtain the ICTs impact on environment in details IDI was chosen. The correlation between IDI dynamics and dynamics of CO₂ emission has been measured for 42 countries in 2010-2015. The low-carbon economy prospects in Ukraine have been observed. The results of the study could be used for developing of an integrated system of indicators for measuring the impact of ICTs on the environment.

Keywords: low-carbon economy; green ICT; information and communications technology; information technology; e-indexes; ICT Development Index; IDI; CO2; carbon dioxide; carbon emissions; trends; correlation; green firms; Ukraine; environmental sustainability; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSAMI.2016.081980

International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics, 2016 Vol.2 No.2/3/4, pp.95 - 109

Received: 11 May 2016
Accepted: 03 Jul 2016
Published online: 31 Jan 2017 *

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