INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are developing and contributing to economic growth and affecting the lifestyles of societies, as well as they having a potentional and significant role in sustainable development. This potential role of ICT in sustainable development consists of direct and indirect effects, but also rebound effects. It can be concluded that the proper assessing of the environmental impacts of ICT, must address these different types of effects, too. Consequently, the author of the paper considered various kinds of ICT solutions and their potential positive and negative environmental impacts, in order to have a better understanding of these impacts of ICT on the environment. Also, this paper deals with the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in order to provide a new knowledge on the challenges of using LCA for assessments of environmental sustainability of ICT solutions.