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HP has sponsored a new, comprehensive report published by the World Wildlife Fund that argues that the development of a global, open access, video conferencing infrastructure could significantly reduce CO2 emissions, whilst providing additional business benefits at the same time.
HP has had a strong relationship with WWF for many years. This latest report demonstrates both our commitment to WWF and to understanding and promoting the full potential of IT and how we can make it work to help reduce the global carbon footprint.
The report, entitled ‘Virtual Meetings and Climate Innovation in the 21st Century’ highlights the significant impact that employee air travel makes on a company’s total carbon footprint. Currently, air travel is projected to grow by 4 per cent a year. For developing countries such as China and India that growth is expected to be even greater.
Reluctance to substitute
Although video conferencing solutions, such as HP’s Halo system, are available, it seems that organisations are reluctant to take up the cause for substituting air travel with these solutions. The report highlights some of the reasons for such reluctance as a lack of strategic impetus within the organisations and poor information about the benefits.
As a result of WWF’s findings, the report recommends a comprehensive infrastructure which provides an open access video conferencing site for every million inhabitants of the world’s urbanised areas. The report even outlines the costs involved: $495 million capital cost and $347 million annual operating cost. This may seem extensive, but they are then compared with an estimated $22 billion that it would cost to build a third Heathrow runway, or $320 million for a new Airbus A380 Superjumbo.
Dennis Pamlin, Global Policy Advisor, WWF commented: “Creating a global network of more than 4,000 high quality video conferencing studios in cities around the world would help build a new infrastructure for the 21st century and would cost less than one and a half airplanes,”
Digital bridges for air bridges
The overall aim of such an infrastructure would be to replace ‘air bridges’ with ‘digital bridges’ and to help people become increasingly familiar with the benefits that video conferencing can bring. The report also recommends key target areas where the infrastructure could be implemented. These include large companies with divisions in different countries, small to medium-sized businesses, international government and non-governmental organisations, organisers of small to medium-sized events and of distance learning discussions.
HP is convinced that video conferencing solutions can play a significant role in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions caused by air travel. Although IT in itself is responsible for 2 per cent of the world’s gas emissions, it can be used to great effect to help reduce the remaining 98 per cent and HP’s Halo system is the perfect example.
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