Green Digital Charter awards for 2013 announced!

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Introduction

The first Green Digital Charter awards were announced during the NiCE roadshow in Amsterdam on 14 and 15 November.

The Green Digital Charter (GDC) awards are designed to recognise outstanding achievement by GDC signatory cities in their effort to work together to deliver on the EU climate objectives using digital technologies that increase energy efficiency, facilitate emissions reductions and forestall climate change. Under this scheme, cities have been asked to:

• Describe tools that they have used and projects that they have designed or implemented
• Assess their own progress
• Measure their ICT direct carbon footprint

The three categories of awards and the respective winners are:

Best effort in ICT carbon footprint reduction – Linkoping, Sweden

The award highlights cities that are working towards the respective GDC commitment based on:

• Reduction target achieved so far
• Use (quality of data) of the GDC ICT carbon footprint tool
• Use (frequency) of the GDC ICT carbon footprint tool

Starting in 2004, Linkoping implemented specific policies for the full life cycle of ICT equipment (procurement – use – disposal). The ability to accurately measure the energy consumption of the ICT equipment, thus being able to calculate energy costs and carbon footprint can give valuable knowledge and help decision making.

The best example of the results of this effort is that we have proven that by installing energy efficient equipment, between 2008 and 2013 we managed to reduce the total ICT energy consumption even though the number of ICT equipment has been doubled.

Best GDC project – Genoa, Italy

The award highlights cities that are working towards the respective GDC commitment based on

• Performance indicators of the project
• Innovation of the project
• Use of the GDC reporting tools

VERYSchool is a result-oriented project funded by the EC, focusing on pilot actions around the tool VSNavigator. The latter is an energy management and decision-making tool, customised for schools and the objective to drive, both at local (school unit) and regional (network of schools) level:

• The whole chain of stakeholders in the definition of an Energy Management Programme according to the ISO 50001
• Users in the implementation of an effective Energy Management System

Best set of GDC projects – Bristol, UK

The award highlights cities that are working in a systematic way for a green digital/smart future based on

• Performance indicators of the projects (combined performance)
• Existence of an encompassing strategic plan
• Diversity of projects’ scope
• Use of the GDC reporting tools

Bristol aims to be in the top 20 European cities by 2020 and has made a clear commitment to create a world-class and inclusive green-digital economy. Smart City Bristol is a collaborative programme between the public sector, business and community which builds upon the city’s digital infrastructure. The aim is to use smart technologies to meet the ambitious target to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020 from a 2005 baseline, and the wider social and economic objectives. It was launched in 2011 and builds upon the Smart City Bristol Report commissioned by Bristol City Council and funded by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change. Bristol’s Smart City Programme has focused on 3 key areas to date:

1. Smart energy
2. Smart transport
3. Smart data

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