A Systematic Literature Review of the Factors of Influence on the Environmental Impact of ICT

Abstract

Context: Many publications have described, measured, tracked or assessed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) activities that impact the environment. A complete conceptual view of the environmental impact of ICT can be described in three orders of effect: Direct, indirect and systemic. Objective: The goal of this study is to find out how the existing literature contributes towards our understanding of the environmental impact of ICT. We approach this question by identifying factors that can be of influence on the environmental impact and map these factors onto a conceptual framework of Green ICT. Method: We used a systematic literature review to collect factors of influence regarding the environmental impact of ICT. Results: From the data we collected and the analyses made, we created a taxonomy, and report on the frequencies of the factors of influence in the primary studies as well as gaps and additions compared to the conceptual framework. We found five main classes of influence that can form a continuous cycle, but noted that the research field is strongly focused on the direct impact of ICT. Conclusion: Our study contributes towards a better understanding of the environmental impact of ICT by framing factors of influence in a conceptual framework. The taxonomy we create and the analysis of the studies could be helpful in defining a research agenda, to further enable the full potential of Green ICT. In addition, the taxonomy can be used as a starting point for a practical tool, for organizations that wish to apply Green ICT to its full extent.

Green ICT Adoption Using a Maturity Model

“…We scanned the results from the maturity scans and the interviews for aspects that affect these five properties. We then framed these aspects in terms of factors of influence (see [9]) that were present and influenced the success of the (adoption of) green ICT. We did so for each organisation and we reviewed the combined results for patterns that might emerge that relate to our research questions.…”

Les certificats de sobriété numérique comme instrument de régulation de la pollution numérique

“…La littérature académique s'est concentrée sur des sujets très spécifiques, comme l'optimisation de certaines technologies, et sur certains aspects de la pollution, notamment les émissions de GES. Les effets systémiques et indirects du numérique sur l'environnement sont encore mal connus (Hankel et al, 2018), y compris sur certains segments très étudiés comme les centres informatiques (Whitehead et al, 2014). En découlent la difficulté à quantifier ces impacts et les importants écarts d'estimation liés aux choix méthodologiques.…”

Walkability in Digital Era: A ‘Futures Study’ in Tehran

“…ICT services change the relationships between humans and their living environment while affecting social and economic development (Dadashpoor and Youse 2018). ICT may affect walkability in two general ways: rst; technology as a problem that reduces walkability by transferring functions to the virtual world, and second; technology as a solution; a tool for strengthening walkability (Hankel et al 2018). Due to the overlap among urban elements such as density, mixed land-use, access and transportation network, urban layout (how to connect urban spaces to each other) and housing characteristics, understanding the impacts of ICT on the spatial structure of cities will only be possible by considering all elements of this structure (Dempsey et al 2010).…”