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

The brief highlights the significant economic impact of the Internet and its potential to drive a green economy through smart systems and dematerialization, while noting the need to address the ICT sector's own environmental footprint.

• The Internet has a massive global economic footprint, with consumption and expenditure exceeding that of the energy or agriculture sectors, and a total GDP contribution larger than that of Spain or Canada.
• ICTs can facilitate the green economy by implementing smart systems to improve efficiency in manufacturing, buildings, transportation, and energy, and by promoting the dematerialization of transactions, services, and products.
• The growth of the ICT sector introduces environmental challenges, specifically regarding the production of greenhouse gas emissions and 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} }