Telstra Claims It Can Assist Kyoto Protocol
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Telstra is claiming businesses and households can help to reduce up to five per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2015, saving $6.6 billion a year, by taking advantage of opportunities offered by telecommunications networks such as high-speed broadband.The telecommunications company has released a report which identifies seven key ways businesses and individuals can avoid or reduce rather than simply offset their carbon emissions, at a rate which would reportedly bring local savings in step with the Kyoto Protocol target.

One of the key ways to achieve this goal is for more Australians to work from home taking advantage of high speed broadband services, therefore lessening emissions from automobiles.

Telstra commissioned climate change experts to quantify the possible carbon and dollar savings that could be achieved by following the steps outlined in the report titled Towards a High-Bandwidth, Low-Carbon Future: Telecommunications-based Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissionsis. Independent experts including World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also confirmed the research.

 

“The Report found telecommunications networks can facilitate a reduction in Australia’s carbon emissions by 4.9 per cent or around 27 million carbon tonnes per year by 2015. This is equivalent to the annual emissions caused by nearly two-thirds of Australia’s passenger cars,” said Telstra CEO, Sol Trujillo.

“Businesses and governments alike, including airline, energy, banking, insurance, mining and construction companies, are already seeking new ways to reduce and offset carbon emissions. These moves are good for business and good for the environment.

“Telecommunications can deliver additional opportunities in energy conservation that can help in each of these industries. For example, by using high-speed broadband, more people can work from home to avoid car travel and reduce carbon emissions.”

Telstra claims if organisations implemented the report, we could achieve the following:

– 1.8 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon emissions could be saved by using broadband to remotely manage power for appliances not in use or on “stand-by”
 

– 2.4Mt by improving business productivity with “in-person” high-definition videoconferencing
– 2.9Mt with broadband based, real-time freight allocation systems to fill empty freight vehicles
– 3.0Mt with presence-detecting services that turn off devices that are “on” but not being used
– 3.1Mt with teleworking and working in regional centres by reducing commuter car traffic
– 3.9Mt by bringing integrated personalised public transport to your door with a phone call
– 10.1Mt by increasing renewable energy use with networked demand-side management.

“The results indicate Telstra can play a big part in the solution to climate change. The scale of its networks, services and customer-base provides a unique platform to partner with businesses and households to a make a significant contribution to reducing the national carbon footprint,” said Climate Risk’s director of science and systems, Dr Karl Mallon.

WWF Australia CEO, Greg Bourne, said Telstra should be applauded for having chosen to become part of the solution to climate change.

“Telstra has set an international precedent among the telecommunications industry by finding ways that the industry can contribute towards a national shift to a low-carbon economy,” he said.
 

“The scale of the identified emissions reductions would significantly help Australia to meet the call of climate scientists and economists like Sir Nicholas Stern. I urge other corporations, businesses and governments across Australia to follow Telstra’s lead and become part of the solution by finding and implementing innovative ways to cut carbon pollution effectively and quickly both in their firms and business sector.”