On this Earth Day, I'm proud to again trumpet Mobility's leadership in the worldwide effort to protect the environment. As documented by the GSMA's recently published "Mobile Green Manifesto", the Mobility industry is working to not only lower its own greenhouse gas emissions, but is partnering with other industries to develop and deploy mobile technologies and applications that will serve to reduce their emissions as well.
Far from being a simple marketing document or PR piece, the manifesto sets out specific goals and action plans for reducing the industry's carbon footprint. Rob Conway, GSMA CEO, claims in this video interview that "Even though the number of [mobile] connections will grow by 70% by 2020, we'll actually reduce by 40% the carbon footprint related to those connections."
The GSMA is also driving the development of a high-efficiency "universal charger" that will work with any mobile handset and will serve to reduce standby energy consumption by 50 percent. Not only will the universal charger save energy and make life simpler for consumers, the consolidation of charging formats will eliminate an estimated 50,000 tons of waste every year by reducing the number of outdated and duplicate chargers. The GSMA's intitiative is backed by an international consortium of manufacturers and operators.
Across the Mobility industry, operators are recognizing and working to capitalize on the potential of wireless technologies to reduce emissions while also reducing operational expenses. The explosive growth of machine-to-machine applications, like smart grids, remote medical monitoring, or vehicle logistics, means not only will businesses be able to operate more quickly and efficiently, but they'll require far fewer truck rolls, resulting in less emissions.
Dr. Hamadoun Toure, ITU secretary-general, recently recognized the Mobility industry for its impact on environmental sustainability, stating "Mobile phones, like ICTs in general, have a positive effect on the environment – limiting unnecessary travel, for example, or making working practices more efficient."
Cisco is proud to be a leader in the Green ICT movement. Our long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility is part of our core values and is evidenced daily by our solutions, our business practices, and our employee activism.
Once again, I'm proud of the leadership role the Mobility industry has taken on, and I look forward to being a part of this important movement.
Happy Earth Day, everyone!
Topic for discussion: The universal charger is a solution that will benefit consumers and the environment. What other environmentally responsible mobility solutions can you envision in the next 5 to 10 years? Non-toxic batteries, biodegrable handsets, solar-powered base stations, ... let's hear your ideas!
