Understanding higher order impacts of green ICT

Abstract

ICT is known to have three orders of impact: direct, indirect and systemic. The first is often regarded as 'part of the problem', the latter two can also be 'part of the solution' to reduce the global environmental impact of human activities. A number of studies show that the impact of ICT itself is roughly 2%, whereas smart use of ICT can reduce the impact of other sectors by up to 16%. However, ICT research and practice seems to be mostly focused on the direct impacts. This paper tries to move away from this focus, explores the higher order impacts and presents a conceptual framework for individuals and organizations to make the higher order impacts more tangible.