An assessment framework of GHG and energy intensity of the ICT sector

There are a number of standards and guidelines to manage GHG (Greenhouse Gas) and energy aspects for ICT products, organizations, and projects. They have been created by various standards development organizations (SDOs). Some of them are sector-neutral and some of them are sector-specific. This paper summarizes the scope and purposes of the different energy and GHG management standards and guidelines. In particular, it examines the relationships between assessment targets and assessment criteria in order to understand their application; their inter-dependencies; where they are complementary; where they supplement each other, and how they might be competitive. This review is used to map all the standards and guidelines across two dimensions. One dimension covers assessment targets, including product, organization, and project. The second dimension covers assessment criteria, including inventory, carbon footprint, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), ICT enablement accounting, product eco-design, labelling, and validation/verification. The resulting mapping of the standards and guidelines provides insight to organizations on how they can use the various standards and guidelines to create their own sustainability assessment framework.