IS Solution for the Global Environmental Challenge: An Australian Initiative

There is a complex range of interrelated environmental issues that currently challenge decision-makers across the world. To date the reputation of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Australia, and elsewhere, has been quite negative with respect to its effect on the environment. The recent ‘Green IT’ initiatives of the Australian Computer Society to reduce carbon emission are manifestations of this. While not denying the worth of this agenda, the authors of this paper suggest that it is timely to promote a more positive position for ICT as a source of solutions to environmental problems. In this paper, we draw on the Australian experience and our own research into various ICT-tools, to map out the territory where these solutions may be found and to identify first steps in their implementation.

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