Re: [E-impact] French regulator publishes 2024 report on “Achieving digital sustainability”

[Hesham ElBakoury <[e-mail]>]

Thanks Rudolf
Hesham

On Wed, Mar 27, 2024, 5:56 AM Rudolf van der Berg <
[e-mail]> wrote:

> Hesham,
>
> These are two footnotes:
>
> [1] <https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view.html#_ftnref1> Fixed
> and mobile networks’ energy consumption includes all of the network
> components (access, backhaul and core network). Routers and STBs’ energy
> consumption is not included in this indicator.
>
> [2] <https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view.html#_ftnref2> Data
> centre operators: the enterprises queried are those whose main business is
> providing third parties with infrastructure and equipment hosted in data
> centres – referred to hosting and collocation services. This automatically
> excludes businesses and public entities that have their own data centre for
> their own internal use.
>
> Op wo 27 mrt 2024 om 13:53 schreef Hesham ElBakoury <[e-mail]
> >:
>
>> Thanks Rudolf!
>> Good info.
>> I notice that the link [1] and [2] are broken.
>>
>> Hesham
>>
>> On Wed, Mar 27, 2024, 5:33 AM Rudolf van der Berg <
>> [e-mail]> wrote:
>>
>>> The French regulator is a positive example in how it collects data on
>>> the sustainability of the digital sector. Last week it published its 2024
>>> report. I copied the English press release below. I attach the infographics
>>> in French. The full report is available online:
>>>
>>>
>>>    - English press release
>>>    https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view/n/the-environement-210324.html
>>>
>>>    - French press release
>>>    https://www.arcep.fr/actualites/actualites-et-communiques/detail/n/numerique-040723.html
>>>    - French infographics (attached)
>>>    - French webpage about the report
>>>    https://www.arcep.fr/cartes-et-donnees/nos-publications-chiffrees/impact-environnemental/derniers-chiffres.html
>>>    - French report in full
>>>    https://www.arcep.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/observatoire/enquete-pns/edition-2024/enquete-annuelle-pour-un-numerique-soutenable_edition2024.pdf
>>>
>>> To track information and communication technologies’ impact on the
>>> environment, Arcep has been collecting indicators from France’s four main
>>> telecoms operators since 2020, and delivering its findings in an annual
>>> publication: its “achieving digital sustainability” inquiry, along with an
>>> infographics-based summary. This third edition has been expanded to include
>>> indicators on two new stakeholder categories: data centre operators and
>>> device manufacturers.
>>>
>>> Massively energy hungry internet and set-top boxes: their annual power
>>> consumption represents 0.7% of total power consumption in France in 2022
>>> and is three times that of fixed networks*.
>>> [image: Infographic showing the power consumption of boxes]Click to
>>> enlarge
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/fileadmin/cru-1677573101/reprise/communiques/communiques/2024/11-24_infographie_01_ENG.png>
>>>
>>> In 2022 in France, internet and set-top boxes together consumed 3.3 TWh,
>>> or three times the amount of electricity consumed by fixed networks.
>>> Consumption levels varied considerably amongst the 38 models of internet
>>> boxes (aka routers) and 23 models of STBs that were studied, but depended
>>> very little on how much the devices were used or how much data traffic they
>>> generated: 95% of their consumption does not vary, regardless of whether
>>> the box is being solicited by the user.
>>>
>>> There is therefore room to reduce these devices’ power consumption,
>>> thanks to sustainable design and the development of features that make it
>>> possible to put internet and set-top boxes into deep sleep mode
>>> automatically.
>>>
>>> *by definition, fixed networks here include all of an operator’s
>>> equipment used to provide telephone services or internet access over a
>>> wireline connection, up to the operator’s network termination point in the
>>> customer’s premises.
>>>
>>> Telecoms operators’ greenhouse gas emissions and networks’ power
>>> consumption is increasing, driven by growing use
>>>
>>> At a time when greenhouse gas emissions in France are decreasing by 2.7%
>>> YoY, the country’s four main electronic communications operators’ emissions
>>> increased by 2% for the second year in a row, to reach 382,000 tonnes of CO
>>> 2 equivalent in 2022.
>>> [image: Infographic showing operators' greenhouse gas emissions between
>>> 2017 and 2022]Click to enlarge
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/fileadmin/cru-1677573101/reprise/communiques/communiques/2024/11-24_infographie_02_ENG.png>
>>>
>>> With the increase in mobile data traffic and ongoing mobile network
>>> rollouts, mobile networks’ energy consumption grew substantially in in
>>> 2022: its rate of increase more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 (+ 14%
>>> in 2022 vs. + 6% in 2021). Meanwhile, fixed networks’ power consumption
>>> decreased by 14% YoY, in particular due to the ongoing transition from
>>> copper to the far more energy-efficient optical fibre. This decrease is
>>> not, however, enough to offset mobile networks’ increasing energy
>>> consumption.
>>>
>>> As a result, fixed and mobile networks’ power consumption[1]
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view.html#_ftn1> rose by 7% in
>>> 2022 to reach 4.1 TWh, whereas overall power consumption in France
>>> decreased by 4%, as the energy crisis continued.
>>>
>>> Very small percentage of operators’ handset sales are refurbished phones
>>>
>>>
>>> Mobile phone sales decreased in 2022, both in the French retail market
>>> and for telecoms operators. Operators’ refurbished handset sales decreased
>>> dramatically, however (- 9% in 2022 versus + 11% one year earlier) while
>>> continuing to increase in the market as a whole. They continue to represent
>>> only a small fraction of operators’ handset sales: 4%, compared to 25% on
>>> all other sales channels.
>>>
>>> Laptop computers, computer displays, tablets, smartphones and
>>> televisions: the volume of digital devices being put on the market is
>>> decreasing, but screen sizes are increasing
>>> [image: Infographic showing market launches by type of equipment in 2022]Click
>>> to enlarge
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/fileadmin/cru-1677573101/reprise/communiques/communiques/2024/11-24_infographie_03_ENG.png>
>>>
>>> This decreased volume of devices being put on the market is in part
>>> situational: for laptop computers, computer displays and tablets, whose
>>> sales increased significantly with the rise of remote working. For
>>> smartphones and televisions, this downwards trend has been ongoing for
>>> several years.
>>>
>>> The smaller number of devices released onto the market in 2022 should
>>> help reduce device manufacturers’ carbon footprint. But this decrease could
>>> be counterbalanced by devices’ increasingly large screens, which have a
>>> larger footprint. The inquiry revealed that the proportion of digital
>>> devices with large displays is increasing for virtually every type of
>>> device.
>>> [image: Infographic showing greenhouse gas emissions and electricity and
>>> water consumption by data centre operators]Click to enlarge
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/fileadmin/cru-1677573101/reprise/communiques/communiques/2024/11-24_infographie_04_ENG.png>
>>>
>>> Data centre operators’[2]
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view.html#_ftn2> greenhouse
>>> gas emissions and energy and water consumption increased by more than 10%
>>> in 2022
>>>
>>> As the use of digital technology continues to grow, and with the
>>> increased outsourcing of IT services, there was a rise in 2021 and 2022 in
>>> the number of new data centres that analysed data centre operators began
>>> operating, and these players’ greenhouse gas emissions reached 95,000
>>> tonnes eq. CO2 in 2022, which marks a 14% increase YoY.
>>>
>>> This increase can be attributed to the sizeable rise in indirect
>>> emissions tied to energy consumption, which represent more than 90% of data
>>> centre operators’ total emissions: their energy consumption stood at
>>> 2.1 TWh in 2022 and increased by 15% YoY, compared to unchanged consumption
>>> levels in 2022 for the tertiary sector (which owns the data centres). Some
>>> data centres are nevertheless more energy efficient than others: on
>>> average, the newest ones and those with large computing capacity are the
>>> most energy efficient.
>>>
>>> With global warming, monitoring the withdrawals of water, which can
>>> become a scarce resource in times of drought, becomes vital. The volume of
>>> water withdrawn by data centre operators totalled 482,000 m3 in 2022, a
>>> level that remains modest (only 0.02% of all water withdrawn for economic
>>> activities in 2021) compared to the volumes employed for economic
>>> activities’ other uses. This volume did nonetheless increase by 20% YoY in
>>> 2022, thereby underscoring how important it will be to monitor this
>>> indicator over the coming years.
>>>
>>> Next year’s edition of the “achieving digital sustainability” inquiry
>>> will be expanded to include new indicators and data collected from mobile
>>> network equipment suppliers
>>>
>>> As part of its commitment to steadily enhance the data collected to
>>> measure digital technologies’ impact on the environment, in 2024 Arcep will
>>> collect new indicators from the stakeholders who are already involved, and
>>> expand the exercise to include mobile network equipment suppliers, in
>>> accordance with its Decision on data collection dated 22 November 2023 (see
>>> the press release
>>> <https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view/n/the-environnement-220224.html>
>>> ).
>>>
>>> Annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey: a tool to inform
>>> public debate and discussions over a low-carbon strategy for digital
>>>
>>> There are four main objectives attached to Arcep’s annual “Achieving
>>> digital sustainability” survey:
>>>
>>> • Inform citizens, public sector players and all of the stakeholders on
>>> the ICT sector’s environmental footprint;
>>>
>>> • Identify economic players’ activities that are likely to have an
>>> impact on the environment;
>>>
>>> • Encourage stakeholders to take steps to achieve the most efficient
>>> measurement possible of their environmental footprint;
>>>
>>> • Monitor the progression of these indicators over time, creating the
>>> ability to assess the impact of environmental protection actions put in
>>> place by businesses, and to supply relevant information for evaluating
>>> public policies on digital and the environment, and particularly the
>>> Authority’s actions in this area.
>>> Associated documents
>>>
>>>    - “Achieving digital sustainability” inquiry – 2024 edition
>>>    <https://www.arcep.fr/cartes-et-donnees/nos-publications-chiffrees/impact-environnemental/derniers-chiffres.html>
>>>    - Executive summary in infographics
>>>    <https://www.arcep.fr/uploads/tx_gspublication/EAPNS2024-infographies.pdf>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
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>>>
>>