Carbon Disclosure Project Study 2011 Cloud Computing – The IT Solution for the 21st Century

Study produced for Carbon Disclosure Project by:

Carbon Disclosure Project www.cdproject.net +1 212 378 2086 info@cdproject.net

Cloud Computing – The IT Solution for the 21st Century

Foreword
Cloud Computing – The IT Solution for the 21st Century
It is with great pleasure that I introduce this significant and timely study on the nascent technology of cloud computing and the important role it can play in both increasing business efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If the 19th century was the agricultural century, and the 20th century was the century of manufacturing, then the 21st century is surely the communications century. Hundreds of millions of people are being pulled from poverty around the world – in particular in China and India. As we pass this milestone of fundamental human development we can turn to higher aspirations and goals beyond basic human needs and enrich our society through development of Information Technology. This will deliver increasing luxury in entertainment, education, information and communications. The physical goods industries lay the foundations of our modern economy; now Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and cloud computing can help enable the full flowering of human potential. A large percentage of global GDP is reliant on ICT – this is a critical issue as we strive to decouple economic growth from emissions growth. The carbon emissions reducing potential of cloud computing is a thrilling breakthrough, allowing companies to maximize performance, drive down costs, reduce inefficiency and minimize energy use – and therefore carbon emissions – all at the same time. The early days of the computer revolution saw a great deal of money invested into ICT – one of the most important economic sectors in the