Updates from Asia-Pacific. Click here for regional Green ICT updates from around the globe. Click on 'Asia-Pac' tag above for all news about the region. (Information about the ICT implications of Japan's earthquake and tsunami have been moved to its own post.)

2013

Fast Company's list of 100 Most Creative People in Business 2012 is topped by Chinese activist Ma Jun, Director of the nonprofit Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE). Ma's focus on pollution began in the 1990s and became critical to Green ICT a few years ago. "In 2009, his team began to notice several cases of health problems due to heavy-metal pollution being reported in local newspapers. 'To our surprise, the source wasn't mostly mines or government-operated smelters,' he says, 'but factories manufacturing global IT equipment'…By April 2010, Ma had discovered 29 major tech brands using factories with hazardous operations." Ma and IPE gained global recognition in 2011 by challenging the Apple, allegedly the largest and least responsive of the tech giants implicated in Chinese pollution. Learn more from our 2011-12 coverage of Ma, IPE, and Apple.

UK Berkley's Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions (TIER) program's Village Base Station (VBTS) went live in February 2013 in Papua, Indonesia. VBTS "…only requires a peak power of 80W [and runs] here solely on micro-hydro and solar power." This power requirement is only for local voice service and does not include interconnect or data service. The project hopes to use "ISP-grade long-distance WiFi networks" to upgrade services while maintaining low power consumption. TIER has published a video containing a technical discussion.

2012

CIO reports on the impact of India's massive August 2012 blackouts on its ICT industry, "'Indian providers have had to deal with these contingencies-international telecom cables being sliced, large union strikes that impact workers-so they are generally more prepared to deal with [them],' says Steve Hall, partner with outsourcing consultancy ISG…Tier 1 and tier 2 providers have made significant investments in backup plans capable of providing at least five to seven days of continuous operations in the event of a power failure, says ISG's Hall. Most campuses are equipped with diesel generators, water and other off-grid power sources. 'Their major operations centers are set up to operate like independent nation-states,' says Jim Slaby, research director of sourcing security and risk strategies for outsourcing consultancy HfS Research. 'They also have contingency plans to relocate workers to backup locations in response to extended outages at any one facility, and the ability to reinforce the physical security of their facilities in the event of natural disasters [or] civil unrest.'"

Taiwan's MINIWIZ offers Re-CASE™, a "100% trash made iPhone case" made of rice farming agricultural waste and post-consumer thermo-plastics. "The end result is a highly durable material of architectural grade which is recyclable and able to be manufactured at an unbeatable minimum of CO2 emissions…The reprocessed rice husks serves as a performance enhancer that counteracts the mechanical strength loss due to degradation of poly propylene as it is recycled…Our design was inspired by the inrö, a Japanese Edo-Period accessory used to carry small objects, such as identity seals, and often shaped to provide tactile stress relief."

IBM has opened what it describes as "the first-ever server remanufacturing center in China. The new center, located in Shenzhen, will help reduce the impact of e-waste on the environment by extending the life of older IT equipment that otherwise would go into landfills…The demand for IT products in emerging markets is growing; however, not all businesses want to purchase new products…As the first IT provider licensed by the government to remanufacture servers on mainland China, IBM can help clients affordably acquire [servers] locally to supplement and support their IT operations while helping the environment."

Focus Tiawan reports the country is debating the benefits of competing for data centers. "Acer Inc. Chairman J.T. Wang said…that he disapproved of the government's policy to encourage businesses to set up such centers in Taiwan. They usually consume a lot of electricity, have high levels of carbon emissions and do not help promote the development of the local cloud computing industry…It is more important to develop cloud-based applications that meet people's daily needs…" The government's stance: "Taiwan welcomes local and foreign companies to set up data centers on the condition that the facilities are beneficial to the country as a whole…Asked if data centers might consume excessive amounts of electricity and water, [an official said] that the government would not allow companies to establish such centers before coming up with supporting policies."

The deadline for entries in Hong Kong's 2012 Best Green ICT Award. The deadline for entry into the four categories is 6 February 2012. This is the first Green ICT award in China of which I am aware.

2011

ID-TELMIT 2012, billed as "Indonesia's Largest ICT & Media Convergence Conference & Expo", intends to cover how to "apply Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to other industrial fields such as Green Convergence, Smart Grid…" I see this as more evidence that the global ICT community is becoming increasingly focused on this opportunity. We will update this post as we get relevant material from the organizers.

China's focus on pollution from Apple suppliers, including Taiwan's Catcher Technology, has created a new focus on greener manufacturing of e-gear. Focus Taiwan, "The Minister of Economic Affairs urged local manufacturers Wednesday to go green, days after a Taiwanese supplier to Apple Inc. was ordered by the Chinese authorities to partially suspend operations at one of its facilities in China for causing air pollution. 'Manufacturers must have the concept of the "green supply chain" so as to maintain their long-term partnerships with an outstanding multinational enterprise,' said [the minister.]" (More on Apple manufacturing in China.)

According to Gartner, "By 2015, India's spending on green IT and sustainability initiatives will double from $35 billion in 2010 to $70 billion in 2015…India's information and communication technology (ICT) industry will be an early adopter of green IT and sustainability solutions as India is one of the fastest-growing markets in terms of IT hardware and communications infrastructure consumption…"

We given a lot of coverage to what happens to e-waste once it leaves its country of origin. A video from China Daily shows a more responsible approach to e-waste recycling.

Frost & Sullivan's 2011 Asia Pacific Green Excellence Awards honored companies in 28 categories. Surprisingly, only one was ICT related. "Technology Innovation in Data Centre Power Management" recognized Emerson Network Power. No specifics were cited by Frost & Sullivan.

Singapore's Sustainable Business Awards program offers Green IT Awards to "provide recognition to holistic green IT solutions, which meet the needs of business, ecology, and society." 2010 winners are IRAS, Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Trusted Hub Limited. The Awards web site does not appear to publish specific information what the winners accomplished to achieve this recognition, which is a missed opportunity to educate others. Award sponsors Singapore Business Federation, IBM, and Frost and Sullivan have also launched the Green IT Adoption Index Survey.

Indonesia is testing fuel cells to power off-grid telecommunications infrastructure. US manufacturer IdaTech reports, "In an effort to use alternative energy solutions that have a positive impact on the environment, more than 150 IdaTech backup power fuel cell systems have been installed on Hutchison Indonesia’s network instead of traditional diesel generators."

Sri Lanka's Information and Communications Technology Agency (ICTA) has launched a Green IT initiative to make the country "one of the most sustainable IT-BPO destinations in the world." The ICTA announced a grant program to encourage participants to obtain "obtain globally recognized [sustainability] accreditations." (BPO refers to 'business process outsourcing'.)

Desktop virtualization company NComputing announced that, "the Government of Punjab [India] has awarded it a contract to deliver desktop computing labs to 480 schools...The Government of Punjab sought to provide the maximum number of computer seats in each school at an affordable purchase price, with low ongoing maintenance costs. NComputing will deliver...75% less maintenance and 90% less energy consumption than traditional all-PC labs. NComputing devices only use 1 watt of electricity – an important advantage for the state of Punjab.

According to Pike Research, "the total installed base of smart meters in Asia Pacific will increase from 52.8 million in 2010 to 350.3 million by 2016, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37%…among countries in the region, China has the most ambitious goals for smart meter installations. By 2016…China will represent more than three-quarters of the installed base of smart meters in Asia Pacific, and the government has declared plans to continue a large-scale meter deployment through at least 2020. Japan, South Korea, and Australia will also represent large markets for smart meters."

Wipro (India) and Quanta (China) are the latest Asian companies to be recognized for supplying green computers. Wipro received a high mark for a desktop it submitted to Greenpeace's Green Electronics Survey. Wipro and Quanta both offer ENERGY STAR® qualified servers. Review Wipro's sustainability information and Quanta's CSR report

2007-2010
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Images courtesy MINIWIZ, TIER

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