Carbon dioxide emitted by industries involved in information technology in Japan could log a three-fold increase in the 10 years from 2000 to 2010, according to a recent study.
The study, conducted by Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co. at the request of the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry, shows that "carbon termed" emissions of the greenhouse gas from IT-related industries are expected to reach between 6.47 million and 11.08 million tons in 2010, or 1.8 to 3.1 times the levels of 2000.
Carbon dioxide emissions related to computer and server management are likely to soar by three to 16 times by 2010, according to the study.
IT-related emissions accounted for just 1.1 percent of all the carbon dioxide produced by Japan in 2000, up 0.5 percentage point from the 0.6 percent logged in 1990.
This ratio is expected to rise to between 1.9 percent and 3.3 percent by 2010, according to the study.
"We need to consider building environment-friendly infrastructure and development of IT-related equipment that will promote energy-saving," said one ministry official.
The advance of Japan's information-processing capabilities, which enable computers and other equipment to maintain constant access to the Internet, is causing electricity consumption to rise, according to the study, the nature of which was not spelled out.
Japan's overall carbon dioxide emissions in fiscal 2010 are expected to climb to 413 million tons on a carbon basis, or 1.18 times higher than the 350 million tons logged in fiscal 1998, if no special efforts are made to reduce them, the Environment Ministry said.
And the rate of increase at IT-related industries has already surpassed the nation's overall rate.
However, if the industry and other sectors "promote energy-saving at the highest level," the ministry official said, IT-related emissions of the gas could be canceled out.