LONDON, United Kingdom — Following on the release earlier this year of a report outlining how information technology can enable a low-carbon future, the Climate Group this week launched a project to keep the IT industry on course.

The new "Pathways to Scale" project offers case studies of how companies are applying high-tech solutions to building energy efficiency, transportation, the smart grid, and other areas.

The original Smart2020 report found that the IT industry can play a role in achieving global emissions reductions of as much as 15 percent by 2020, and save companies over $725 billion by improving efficiency. Among the findings of successes and shortcomings from the follow-on report include:

• Companies joining in partnerships with other enterprises or NGOs achieve greater successes than companies working alone;
• Products are still often focused on a narrow niche or single area rather than offering end-to-end solutions;
• In addition to promoting widespread behavioral change on the part of individuals, companies should optimize the energy savings on offer from their products, and use the financial savings to encourage that change;

In addition, the report's authors write that poliymakers must adopt a price for carbon, but beyond that must also lower policy barriers to cooperations, as has happened in some instances with anti-competitiveness laws.

“Pathways to Scale shows that we still have some way to go to achieving the SMART 2020 goal," Molly Webb, Director of Strategic Engagement at The Climate Group, said in a statement. "But the lessons learnt are very useful."

The report also offers a handful of recommendations that are needed to scale up smart solutions to climate problems. In addition to the development of a smart grid that links the generation and transmission of energy to its end use in offices and homes, the report's authors urge the spread of technologies, like Microsoft's Hohm and Google's Power Meter, to provide real-time energy use to everyone.

Policies and pilots are also needed to test the application of new products, and pilots should be focused on the urban level to enable innovations to be put into play quickly.

“User-generated content drove Web 2.0, and user-generated energy information and ‘the internet of things’ is our future," Webb added. "With a strong global agreement to tackle climate change, ICT infrastructure will be a key enabler in the short term of carbon efficiency on a global scale.”

A summary of the case studies and findings are available for download from GreenerComputing.com; in-depth case studies and further information are online at Smart2020.org.