ICTs in Support of Green Growth

Knowledge Product for the ICT Sector Unit’s Green Growth Program

  1. Background

During FY2010 the ICT Sector Unit prepared a Knowledge Product (“ICT Linkages to Climate Change – Potential WBG Interventions”), in which the role of ICTs in mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts was assessed as the basis for identifying possible areas of focus for World Bank Group (WBG) interventions. The assessment framework that was applied demonstrated that ICTs have the potential to make a significant impact (both in mitigation and adaptation aspects) across multiple sectors of the economy and segments of the population, and that specific opportunities and possible interventions were many. Among the identified action items, it was determined that more rigorous efforts were needed to create awareness among WBG sector experts, and launch analytical work products (AWPs) to build credibility and measure the impact of ICTs across multiple sectors and types of interventions.

Since the publication of the initial ICT linkages to climate change paper, several developments related to the WBG’s support of climate change and green growth initiatives have accelerated. Specifically, theCOP-16 concluded with a relatively positive outcome in the form of the Cancun Agreements, and in the process the WBG formalized its platform and action items (“building blocks”) for supporting mitigation and adaptation activities in developing countries. More recently the Bank’s Green Growth Knowledge Platform was initiated to support client countries in jointly pursuing growth and environmental goals. Improving knowledge, and providing increased advisory and operational assistance on a range of green growth issues, are the core focus areas of the proposed Green Growth Knowledge Platform. This knowledge paper is intended to be consistent with and contribute to these initiatives.

  1. Objective of this Knowledge Product

The overall objective of this Knowledge Product is to (i) raise awareness among the SDN sectors of the role of ICT in supporting the World Bank’s Green Growth initiative, (ii) identify areas of collaboration and AWP support to other divisions of the WBG, and (iii) identify potential sources of funding for an on-going analytical work program. The knowledge product will synthesize the role ICTs are playing and can play in adaptation and mitigation actions that are relevant to the Bank’s work. Through a process of analysis, synthesis and discussions with sector experts inside the WBG a listing of priority areas of collaboration and analytical support has been developed. Further, a list of possible funding sources (e.g. donors, trust funds) has been identified and then mapped to the priority analytical work products.

  1. Approach and Methodology

Through a collaborative effort, sector experts from within the Bank were identified and interviewed[1]. Sector experts from energy, water, disaster reduction and recovery, transportation, the Climate Portal, and agriculture were interviewed (see Annex Afor a list of participants). In the interviews,each sector’s green growth strategies and plans were discussed with specific emphasis on how ICTs were being utilized or could be utilized to enhance or support the particular green growth initiative(s). Depending on the expected level and type of ICT intervention, the discussion turned to an exploration of ICT-focused analytical studies or tools that could be developed to further enhance the green growth results. As a result of the discussions a long list of potential analytical work products was identified. Given such a long list and limited resources to complete all prospective AWP, the team applied an assessment and prioritization process. This process consisted of assessing (i.e. ranking) the analytical projects according to the following criteria (i.e. filters):

a)Level of readiness to implement – Has the analytical project been designed and introduced to management (e.g. concept note component, TORs)?

b)Level of support/collaboration from the sector – Is strong demand (i.e. high priority) expressed by the sector and would the sector collaborate/JV the analytical work product?

c)Consistency with Green Growth Knowledge Platform[2] - Does the analytical work product “fit” within the GGKP structure?

d)Alignment with ICT Sector Strategy – Does the analytical work product support any of the three pillars: Connect, Innovate and Transform?

e)Level of Difficulty to Deliver – How difficult (i.e. complicated) would it be to deliver the subject AWP?

The results of applying the assessment and prioritization process are presented in the following table. A more detailed description of each AWP is in Annex B.

Table 1: Assessment and Ranking of Prospective Analytical Work Product

Sector / AWP Description / Readiness (Low-High, 1-3) / Sector Collaboration (Low-High, 1-3) / GGKP Number of Segments
(1-6) / ICT Strategy Number of Pillars
( 1-3) / Difficulty to Deliver (High – Low, 1-3) / Total
Agriculture / Role of Green ICT solutions for Agriculture Value Chain (from A to Z) / 1 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 9
Climate Portal / Climate data: ICT platform for sub-national times series data / 1 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 8
Climate Portal / Environment monitoring technologies: stocktaking and identification of potential collaboration / 1 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 7
Disaster Risk Management / Risk mapping and damage assessment: examining use ofmobile platform and satellite imagery in Haiti, Pakistan etc. / 3 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 11
Disaster Risk Management / Preparedness and disaster mitigation: ICT for collecting exposure information / 3 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 9
Disaster Risk Management / Open data initiative: ICT platform for disaster risk indicators / 1 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 7
Energy / Smart metering: impact case studies, i.e. demand management and real-time pricing / 2 / 3 / 3 / 1 / 3 / 12
Energy / Role of ICT in energy value chain: from A to Z / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 8
Forestry / ICTs for Green Growth Strategies in Forestry / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 10
Hydropower / ICT pilot component as part of Nam Theun 2 Project / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 11
ICT / Reducing ICT sector emissions: emerging new green technologies(cloud computing, data centers, broadband fibre) / 2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 7
ICT / Case Studies of ICT for Adaptation: examining applications / 3 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 8
ICT / ICT for local adaptive strategies lead to increased ingenuity / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 6
Transport / Transport emissions: role of ICTs in reducing congestion and determining transport pricing / 2 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 3 / 11
  1. Priority AWPs

According to the assessment results, the Top 5 highest ranked AWP projects include the following:

  1. Energy[3] (12 points out of maximum of 18)

Smart Metering: This proposed analytical work would provide 3-5 concrete case studies on how the impact of smart metering on enabling real-time pricing and better demand management. The study would focus on mitigation measures for energy efficiency (e.g. smart logistics, smart grids/metering and smart buildings) with a focus on low carbon sources and making energy services more affordable and reliable to households and industry.GGKPResearch Program: Infrastructure.

  1. Disaster Risk Management (11 points)

Risk Mapping and Damage Assessment. This analytical work will examine the ICT solutions that are being used during acute environmental events. The cost benefits of using mobile phones and crowd-sourcing versus more costly solutions such as satellite imagery will be weighed to provide insight on what sort of ICT ecosystem countries should ideally have in place. Lessons learned will be drawn from the use of ICTs in recent disaster relief efforts (i.e. Haiti, Pakistan, Japan). GGKPResearch Program:Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

  1. Hydropower (11 points)

ICT pilot component as part of Nam Theun 2 Project: This pilot activity will aim to demonstrate how to use ICT to plan for, manage, and monitor implementation of hydropower projects, by proving the concept around a particularly large and significant project in Lao PDR (Nam Theun 2 Project). Such a demonstration would be of interest to the Bank’s growing hydropower portfolio across the world in support of renewable energy.An application to the Korean Trust Fund was submitted to meet the June 24, 2011 deadline. GGKPResearch Program:(a) Environment and natural resource management; (b) Infrastructure.

  1. Transport (11 points)

Green ICT solutions for Transport: This analytical work would provide a detailed description of 3-5 concrete ICT solutions and identify the potential benefits and costs involved. It will examine the role of ICT in addressing congestion for urban and inter-city transport as well as for determining transport pricing such as congestion, parking, and shadow pricing. GGKPResearch Program:(a) Infrastructure; (b) Price and green taxation and finance.

  1. Forestry[4] (10 points)

ICTs for Green Growth Strategies in Forestry: This proposed analytical work will look at ICT solutions for furthering Green Growth strategies in the forest sector. More specifically, it will identify key ICT solutions within the three pillars of the Bank’s Forests Strategy (2002): (i) environmental services and the impact of deforestation and degradation focusing on REDD+ and biodiversity; (ii) the contribution of forests to economic development; and (iii) role of forests in poverty reduction and social development (e.g. forestry as a source of livelihoods and safety nets). Forest governance will be a crosscutting theme across the pillars.This study will draw lessons from 4-5 good practices and define an ICT ecosystem to support development efforts in the aforementioned contexts.GGKPResearch Program:(a) Environment and natural resource management; (b) Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

  1. Funding Sources

In parallel to the assessment and prioritization process, a list of possible funding sources (e.g. donors, trust funds) was identified and then mapped to the priority analytical work products. The following table presents a list of possible funding sources mapped to the Priority AWPs.

Table 2: Possible Funding Sources and Mapping to AWPs

Funding Source / Description and Areas of Focus / Sector Reference / Priority AWP Mapping
1. ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program) / World Bank administered TA program with focus on: energy assessments and strategy; pro-poor energy access; energy efficient cities; renewable energy. / Energy, Hydropower, Transport. / Energy, Hydropower
2. GEF (Global Environment Facility) Trust Fund / Independent financial organization with 182 country members, focus on: biodiversity; climate change and adaptation; chemicals, internal waters, land degradation; sustainable forestry; ozone layer depletion. / Agriculture, Climate Change; Deforestation; Water / Hydropower, Forestry
3.GeSI (Global e-Sustainability Initiative) / Research institute that focuses on how ICTs can play a role in sustainable development, including emission reduction in the ICT sector itself / ICT Sector / Energy
4.GSMA-The Climate Group / A collaboration that supports research on green technologies in mobile segment / ICT Sector / -
4. ICT KTF (Korea Trust Fund) / World Bank administered TA program with focus onGreen ICT / Agriculture, Climate Change, Deforestation; Energy; Hydropower; Transport; Water Management / All 5 focus areas
5.Secure World Foundation / An independent foundation that works with governments and its area of focus includesplanetary defense (i.e. disaster risk management) / Disaster Risk Management / Disaster Risk Management
6.TFESSD (TF for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development) / Multi-donor TF supported by Finland and Norway that mainstreams the environmental, social and poverty reducing dimensions of sustainable development into the Bank’s work. / Agriculture, Deforestation; Energy, Water Management / Hydropower, Energy
7.WMO (World Meteorological Organization) / UN organization that partners up with international organizations on issues including climate; natural hazards; environment; water; / Climate Change; Deforestation; Water Management / Disaster Risk Management, Forestry
8.UN Foundation / A public charity working closely with the UN, it’s area of focus includes climate and energy / Climate Change, Energy. / Hydropower
  1. Action Plan

The Action Plan to move forward with the five priority AWPs in FY12 includes:

a)Complete one proposal to the KTF for at least one of the priority AWPs (i.e. the ICT component for the hydropower project) by the June 24, 2011 deadline;

b)Discuss with the Bank’s Green Growth team how best to integrate the work identified in this Note into the Green Growth Platform agenda;

c)Draft TORs for the priority AWPs and discuss with the Sector Leads the details of the terms of reference and how best to align the proposed AWP with their ongoing sector work; and

d)Continue research and direct contact with prospective funding sources and submit applications as the appropriate Trust Fund and Donor sources are identified.

Annex A – Persons Interviewed

Agriculture:Pai-YeiWhung, Adviser; Marjory-Anne Bromhead, Consultant

Climate Portal: Ana Bucher, Climate Change Specialist

Disaster Risk Management: Stuart Gill, Disaster Risk Management Specialist; Ankur Ravi Shah, Consultant

Energy: Gabriela Azuela, Senior Energy Specialist

Forestry:TuukkaCastren, Senior Forestry Specialist

Transport: Andreas Kopp, Lead Transport Economist; Jacqueline Dubow, Program Coordinator

Water: Julia Bucknall, Sector Manager; Diego Rodriguez, Senior Economist; Michael Chaitkin, Special Assistant to the Chief Economist

Annex B – Description of Prospective Analytical Work Product

Agriculture:

Role of Green ICT solutions for Agriculture Value Chain (from A to Z): This analytical work would examine how ICT solutions can lead to reduced carbon emissions in the management of agricultural production in developing countries. The study will look at each stage of the agriculture production value-chain and look for relevant ICT solutions and best practice cases. The study would further examine the ways in which ICTs can be mainstreamed into the broader R&D practice in the agriculture sector.

GGKP Research Program:Policies for greening economic transformation.

Climate Portal:

ICT Platform for Climate Data.Currently, there is no standardized times-series data for Climate Change practitioners to access for their policy and technical work. There is a need for digitization of historical data (both national and sub-national) and development of an online platform where time-series data can be readily accessed. This pilot would look at where the data is on selected countries and support the process of digitalizing environmental and climate data in key government institutions.

GGKP Research Program:(a) Environment and natural resource management; (b) Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

Environmental Monitoring Technologies. This analytical work will take stock of existing remote sensing and satellite based earth observation systems, location based services (i.e. GPS), embedded sensor technologies and practices. It will also examine possible collaboration between the World Bank, through its Green Growth and ICT Knowledge Platforms, with donor partners and private companies who are already collecting environmental data. Areas for collaboration could include: (i) monitoring of environment-related MDG indicators; (ii) access to climate and environment data for policy-makers and citizens as ipart of the Open Data Initiative; and (iii) developing international standards for measuring Green Growth.

 GGKP Research Program:(a) Environment and natural resource management; (b) Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

Disaster Risk Management:

Risk mapping and Damage Assessment.This analytical work will examine the ICT solutions that are being used during acute environmental events. The cost benefits of using mobile phones and crowdsourcing versus more costly solutions such as satellite imagery will be weighed to provide insight on what sort of ICT ecosystem countries should ideally have in place. Lessons learned will be drawn from the use of ICTs in recent disaster relief efforts (i.e. Haiti, Pakistan, Japan).

 GGKP Research Program:Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

Preparedness and Disaster Mitigation.This analytical work will provide a comprehensive description of the ideal ICT infrastructure - both physical and social, and within and across country borders - that would increase climate change resilience in developing countries.

 GGKP Research Program:Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

Open Data Initiative for Disaster Risk Management. Internet based services such as those offered by Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth, Plant Skin among others have unleashed a multitude of innovative uses and applications for local and community level that can support disaster risk management efforts. There is a need to provide easy access to this data to policy makers of developing counties and practitioners in DRM. This analytical work would take stock of existing data producers and provide a portal to the various resources for DRM practitioners.

 GGKP Research Program:Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).

Energy:

Smart Metering:This analytical work would provide 3-5 concrete case studies on how the impact of smart metering on enabling real-time pricing and better demand management. The study would focus onmitigation measures for energy efficiency (e.g. smart logistics, smart grids/metering and smart buildings) with a focus on low carbon sources and making energy services more affordable and reliable to households and industry.

 GGKP Research Program:Infrastructure.

Role of Green ICT solutions for Energy Value Chain (from A to Z): This analytical work would provide examples of how ICTs can provide efficiency gains at every step of the electricity value chain. The study will involve looking at experiences emerging from both developed and developing countries with the aim of identifying ways for developing countries to leapfrog in terms of extending access to the poor using green technologies.

 GGKP Research Program:Infrastructure.

Forestry:

ICTs for Green Growth Strategies in Forestry: This proposed analytical work will look at ICT solutions for furthering Green Growth strategies in the forest sector. More specifically, it will identify key ICT solutions within the three pillars of the Bank’s Forests Strategy (2002): (i) environmental services and the impact of deforestation and degradation focusing on REDD+ and biodiversity; (ii) the contribution of forests to economic development; and (iii) role of forests in poverty reduction and social development (e.g. forestry as a source of livelihoods and safety nets). Forest governance will be a crosscutting theme across the pillars.This study will draw lessons from 4-5 good practices and define an ICT ecosystem to support development efforts in the aforementioned contexts.Green Growth “hub and spoke” agenda:(a) Environment and natural resource management; (b) Enabling policies (inform, influence, and monitor).