It is estimated that by 2020, the IT and Telecommunications industries will account for about 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions, or 1.54 metric gigatons, equivalent to twice what the UK produces today. On the upside, these technologies could help reduce emissions in other industries by enabling smarter systems in manufacturing, power transmission, transportation, and other sectors. The combined impact could amount to 7.8 metric gigatons, about 15% of the world's current GHG emissions -- far outweighing their negative impact.
