ICTs as Enablers of the Green Economy: A brief on Internet policy issues

This policy brief discusses the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as drivers of the green economy, highlighting their economic scale, their potential to increase efficiency through smart systems and dematerialization, and the environmental challenges posed by the ICT sector itself.

• The Internet has a massive global economic footprint, with consumption and expenditure exceeding that of the energy or agriculture sectors, and a total contribution to global GDP that surpasses that of Spain or Canada.
• ICTs provide opportunities to support a green economy via the dematerialization of transactions, products, and services, and the use of smart systems to improve efficiency in manufacturing, building, transportation, and energy sectors.
• While ICTs enable green growth, the sector itself creates environmental challenges, specifically regarding greenhouse gas emissions and the production of toxic waste.

APA

MacLean,, D. (2011). ICTs as Enablers of the Green Economy: A brief on Internet policy issues. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/icts-enablers-green-economy-brief-internet-policy-issues

Chicago

MacLean,, Don. ICTs as Enablers of the Green Economy: A brief on Internet policy issues. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/icts-enablers-green-economy-brief-internet-policy-issues.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=MacLean, |first1=Don |title=ICTs as Enablers of the Green Economy: A brief on Internet policy issues |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=22 September 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/icts-enablers-green-economy-brief-internet-policy-issues |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maclean2011icts, author = {MacLean,, Don}, title = {{ICTs as Enablers of the Green Economy: A brief on Internet policy issues}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/icts-enablers-green-economy-brief-internet-policy-issues}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }