Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Addressing the challenge of energy efficiency through information and communication technologies
Date: 2008-05-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: climate change, energy consumption, energy policy, energy saving, energy technology, information technology, research and development, sustainable development

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.5.2008 
COM(2008) 241 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Addressing the challenge of energy efficiency through Information and Communication 
Technologies 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Addressing the challenge of energy efficiency through Information and Communication 
Technologies  

(Text with EEA relevance) 

At  the  2007  Spring  European  Council,  the  Heads  of  State  and  Government  highlighted  the 
development of a sustainable integrated European climate and energy policy as a top priority 
and adopted an energy and climate package to guide the EU towards a competitive and secure 
energy  economy  while  promoting  energy  savings  and  climate-friendly  energy  sources1. 
Europe  faces  three  main  challenges  in  this  field  —  tackling  climate  change,  guaranteeing 
secure, sustainable and competitive energy, and making the European economy a model for 
sustainable development in the 21st century. 

The  resolve  of  the  European  Council  to  transform  Europe  into  a  low-carbon,  high  energy-
efficiency economy means that the continued growth of the European economy, essential to 
achieve full employment and inclusion, needs to be decoupled from energy consumption. The 
current trends are unsustainable. Indeed, if nothing were to change, final energy consumption 
in the EU is predicted to increase up to 25% by 2012, with a substantial rise in greenhouse gas 
emissions.  
Information  and  Communication  Technologies  (ICTs)2  have  an  important  role  to  play  in 
reducing the energy intensity3 and increasing the energy efficiency of the economy4, in other 
words, in reducing emissions and contributing to sustainable growth. In order to achieve the 
ambitious targets set and meet the challenges ahead, Europe needs to ensure that ICT-enabled 
solutions are available and fully deployed.  

But emerging changes offer the possibility of modernising the European economy, towards a 
future where technology and society will be attuned to new needs and where innovation will 
create  new  opportunities.  ICTs  will  not  only  improve  energy  efficiency  and  combat  climate 
change,  they  will  also  stimulate  the  development  of  a  large  leading-edge  market  for  ICT-
enabled  energy-efficiency  technologies  that  will  foster  the  competitiveness  of  European 
industry and create new business opportunities. 

With  the  above  in  mind,  this  Communication  aims  to  raise  awareness  of  the  current  and 
potential  impact  of  ICTs  as  an  enabler  for  energy  efficiency,  stimulating  an  open  debate 
among the relevant stakeholders in a number of selected areas. Addressing the challenge of 
‘Energy Efficiency through ICTs’ will start by bringing together stakeholders in the ICT and 
energy domains to create synergies. Business, government and civil society will then be called 
upon to enter a new form of collaboration and innovative leadership. 

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http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/07/st07/st07224-re01.en07.pdf The targets for 2020 are: 20% 
reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels; 20% share of renewable energies in overall EU energy 
consumption; and 20% savings in EU energy consumption compared to projections.  
ICT refers to micro- and nano-electronics components and systems, but also to future technologies such 
as photonics that promise both far greater computing power for a fraction of today's power consumption 
and high brightness, easy controllable, power-efficient lighting applications 
The amount of energy required to produce a unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 
To assess the energy efficiency of a product the energy consumed for its  manufacturing, distribution, 
use and end-of-life treatment is to be considered. 

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1. 

SETTING THE SCENE  

During  2007,  a  consensus  crystallised  on  the  need  to  put  a  combined  climate  and  energy 
policy  at  the  heart  of  the  EU  political  programme,  central  to  the  Lisbon  and  renewed 
sustainable  development  strategies  and  of  primary  geo-political  importance  considering  oil 
reserves and prices. The European Council set precise and legally binding targets as a symbol 
of Europe’s determination.  

Later,  on  23  January  2008,  the  European  Commission  adopted  a  far-reaching  package  of 
concrete measures5 demonstrating that the agreed climate change targets are technologically 
and  economically  feasible  and  provide  a  unique  business  opportunity  for  thousands  of 
European companies. 

This Communication also builds on and supports the European Strategic Energy Technology 
Plan and other numerous actions launched by the European Commission in different areas, all 
aiming to tackle the climate change challenges. 

Against  this  background,  it  is  clear  that,  if  Europe  is  to  succeed  and  achieve  its  ambitious 
objectives, the role of ICTs as an enabler of energy efficiency across the economy including 
fostering  the  change  in  citizen's  behaviour,  as well  as  in  improving  efficiency  in  the  use  of 
natural  resources  while  reducing  pollution  and  dangerous  waste,  needs  to  be  fully  explored 
and exploited.  

To put ICTs at the core of the energy efficiency effort and to enable them to reach their full 
potential, the following needs to be done: 

•  Firstly, it is necessary to foster research into novel ICT-based solutions and strengthen 
their take-up — so that the energy intensity of the economy can be further reduced by 
adding intelligence to components, equipment and services; 

•  Secondly, efforts should be made so that ICT leads by example and reduces the energy it 
uses  —  ICT  industry  accounts  for  approximately  2%  of  global  CO2  emissions6,  but  is 
pervasive throughout all kinds of economic and social activities, and increasing its use will 
result in energy savings from the other industries; 

•  Thirdly and mainly, it is crucial to encourage structural changes aimed at realising the 
potential of ICT to enable energy efficiency across the economy, e.g. in business processes 
through  the  use  of  ICTs,  e.g.  substituting  physical  products  by  on-line  services 
(‘dematerialisation’),  moving  business  to  the  internet  (e.g.  banking,  real  estate)  and 
adopting new ways of working (videoconferencing, teleconferencing). 

The  following  sections  of  this  Communication  present  the  main  elements  to  be  considered 
under the above three priority areas.  

2. 
ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE: POLICY ORIENTATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION 
It has emerged from broad stakeholder consultations7 carried out for this Communication that 
a limited number of actions proposed in areas with a high potential impact could be the most 
appropriate avenue for addressing energy efficiency through ICTs. 

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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0030:FIN:EN:PDF 
Gartner's study of April 2007 http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=503867 
Reports are at http://cordis.europa.eu/ist/environment/workshop-210306.htm, 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sustainable_growth/docs/ee_report_draft.pdf. and at 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/sustainable-growth/event-20080131-eusew_en.html. 

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This Communication focuses on two main areas:  

•  ICT itself, a small but very visible energy consumer, through RTD and take-up aimed at 
improving  energy  efficiency  at  the  level  of  components,  systems  and  applications  and 
through adopting green-procurement and substitution technologies.  

•  ICTs as an enabler to improve energy efficiency across the economy, through enabling 
new business models and improved monitoring and finer control of all sorts of processes 
and activities. All sectors of the economy, now increasingly ICT-dependent, will benefit to 
a  varying  degree,  although  the  initial  focus  will  be  on  the  power  grid,  on  energy-smart 
homes and buildings and on smart lighting. 

In order to validate and test ideas for these two areas, cooperation with and input from urban 
communities is considered a priority. Cities are home to almost half the world’s population, 
consume over 75% of the world’s energy and produce 80% of its greenhouse gas emissions. 
Several  initiatives  focusing  on  cities  have  already  been  launched  in  Europe8,9  and 
worldwide10,  and  the  intention  is  to  build  cooperation  with  these  existing  networks  and  if 
possible develop ICT-based initiatives with and within cities. 

To  inform  and  structure  dialogue  in  the  two  areas,  a  Consultation  and  Partnership 
Process11  on  ICTs  for  Energy  Efficiency  will  be  launched.  The  objective  of  this  horizontal 
activity will be to foster cooperation and understanding among all the actors involved in the 
energy and ICT domains, including regions, cities and authorities. 

2.1. 

Reducing the carbon footprint of ICTs 

The  ‘carbon  footprint’  of  an  organisation  is  the  volume  of  greenhouse  gas  emissions  it 
generates. It is calculated by assessing energy usage, business travel, and all components of 
the  organisation’s  operations  that  consume  power  or  generate  waste  and  by-products.  An 
organisation is ‘carbon neutral’ when there is balance between the amount of carbon released 
and the amount of carbon sequestered (for example, by planting trees). 

The ICT industry is in a unique position to demonstrate leadership in reducing its footprint, 
through  structural  change  and  innovation  as  well  as  by  leading  the  way  in  identifying  and 
creating efficient solutions for other socio-economic sectors to follow. 

2.1.1.  Making the ICT sector a leading contribution to structural change 

The issue:  

‘Structural change’ means re-engineering the way an organisation operates. This can be done 
for  instance  by  replacing  products  with  on-line  services  (e.g.  company  newsletters),  by 
moving business to the internet (e.g. costumer's support), by adopting new ways of working 
(tele-working and flexi-work enhanced by video-conferencing and tele-presence tools) and by 
exploring the viability of using green suppliers and energy from renewable resources.  

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E.g. The Covenant of Mayors (http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleaseAction.do?reference=IP/08/103) and 
URBACT network (see http://urbact.eu) 
E.g., the ‘Megacity Challenges’ study commissioned by Siemens from GlobeScan and MRC McLean 
Hazel.  
E.g.  the  Clinton  Foundation’s  Climate  Initiative,  known  as  C40-Cities  Climate  Leadership  Group, 
www.c40cities.org. 
According  with  the  Council  conclusion  on  the  renewed  Sustainable  Development  Strategy  (DOC 
10917/06  European  Council  26  June  2006)  and  in  the  context  of  the  i2010  High  Level  Group: 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/high_level_group/index_en.htm 

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Way forward: 

•  As  a  pilot  explore,  together  with  the  ICT  sector,  the  possibility  of  launching  voluntary 

agreements on: 

–  Green procurement within the ICT sector eco-system with the goal of achieving a 

carbon-neutral industry  

•  Encourage  exchanges  of  best  practices  to  improve  the  understanding  of  the  processes 
involved  and  of  the  reasons  for  the  successful  take-up,  or  lack  thereof,  of  specific 
solutions. 

Example of good practice: 

British Telecom has been recognised as the world number one telecommunications company 
in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index12 for the seventh consecutive year and has achieved a 
60%  reduction  in  its  UK  carbon  emissions  from  a  1996  baseline.  The  company  has  set  a 
further target to reduce emissions by 80% from the 1996 baseline by 2016. 

2.1.2.  Making ICTs a leading contribution to innovation 

The issue:  

A major research focus has been on reducing the energy intensity of ICT components, sub-
systems  and  end-systems.  Progress  in  micro-  and  nano-electronics  is  still  governed  by 
Moore’s  law13,  but  emerging  technologies,  e.g.  quantum-  or  photonics-based,  promise 
considerable computing power for a fraction of today’s power consumption.  

Tremendous  improvements  have  been  made  in  the  area  of  displays.  The  substitution  of  old 
CRTs  (cathode-ray  tube)  with  LCDs  (liquid  crystal  display)  represents  a  significant  energy 
efficiency  gain14  and  long-life  OLED  (organic  light  emitting  diode)  will  enable  further 
improvements.  

The power demands of data centres are increasing: currently, 15-20% of the money spent to 
operate  data  centres  goes  towards  power  and  cooling.  The  availability  of  60W  servers 
(consuming about the same as an average incandescent light), combined with other computer 
techniques,  offers  the  potential  for  20-70%  overall  energy  savings,  depending  on  the 
application15.  As  all  ICT  and  consumer  electronics  equipment  requires  power  conversion, 
power electronics remains a crucial issue.  
Way forward:16 

•  Reinforce  research  and  technological  development  (RTD)  in  new  ICT  technologies  and 
applications  with  a  high  potential  for  energy  efficiency.  The  ICT  Theme  in  the  EU’s 

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http://www.sustainability-index.com/. 
Moore’s law predicts that processing power doubles every two years. The power requirements of a chip 
of a given capacity roughly halve every 18 months. 
An LCD consumes around 1/3 the power of a CRT. 
initiative 
The  Efficient  Servers 
(http://www.thegreengrid.org), 
Computing 
Initiative(http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org)  and  The  European  Code  of  Conduct  for  Data 
Centres. 
These activities are complementary to the Community's product energy efficiency policies, in particular 
eco-design (Directive 2005/32/EC),, energy label (Directive 92/75/EEC), Energy Star (Regulation (EC) 
No 106/2008) 

(http://efficient-servers.eu/), 

the  Green  Grid 

Climate-Savers 

project 

the 

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Seventh  Framework  Programme  will  be  instrumental  here,  along  with  national  and 
regional research programmes: 

–  RTD  on  technologies  and  components  to  improve  energy  efficiency,  including: 

computing, displays and power electronics; 

–  RTD on energy-efficient applications and services.  

•  Support the deployment of energy-efficient ICT research results via national and regional 
programmes, the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Programme and relevant operational 
programmes supported by the Cohesion Policy: 

–  Large-scale pilots for footprint tracking of ICTs.  

Example of good practice: 

In  the  past,  increases  in  computer  performance  were  achieved  by  building  faster  processing 
units requiring more and more energy. HiPEAC and other research projects under the Sixth 
Framework  Programme  have  proved  that  performance  can  be  improved  by  building  several 
‘slow’  processing  units  in  parallel  in  a  single  computing  chip,  therefore  decoupling 
performance from energy consumption.  

2.2. 

ICTs as an enabler to improve energy efficiency across the economy 

The enabling potential of ICTs to reduce energy consumption will make a major contribution 
to  improving  energy  efficiency  in  all  sectors  of  the  economy.  Networked  embedded 
components  will  add  intelligence  to  systems  (e.g.  vehicles,  production  plants),  making  it 
possible to optimise operations in variable environments. 

It  is  initially  proposed  to  focus  on  the  power  grid,  energy-smart  homes  and  buildings  and 
smart lighting (due to their relative importance and potential for improvement). Other sectors 
with  considerable  energy-saving  potential  are  the  manufacturing  industry  and  transport17 
(estimated, by 2020, at around 25% and 26% of their total primary energy consumption).  

2.2.1. 

Improving the power grid: from generation to distribution 

The issue: 

The  need  to  improve  the  power  grid  is  well  documented  in  the  Action  Plan  for  Energy 
Efficiency.  The  energy  transformation  sector,  dominated  by  electricity  generation,  uses 
around  one-third  of  all  primary  energy.  Given  the  potential  for  improvement  in  electricity 
generation  (estimated  at  30-40%)  and  the  considerable  losses  in  transport  (2%)  and 
distribution  (8%),  it  is  critical  to  improve  transformation  efficiency,  address  losses  and 
identify any potential problems before they compromise supply18. 

ICTs have a major role to play not only in reducing losses and increasing efficiency but also 
in  managing  and  controlling  the  ever  more  distributed  power  grid  to  ensure  stability  and 
reinforce security as well as in supporting the establishment of a well functioning electricity 
retail market. In fact, the power grid is in a process of radical change. The liberalisation of the 
European  market  for  energy,  the  multiplication  of  local  energy  networks,  the  integration  of 

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Related  to  transport  there  are  several  European  initiatives  already  in  place:  a)Mobility  of  people  and 
products  http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/esafety/index_en.htm,  b)  Green  paper  on 
urban  Mobility  http://ec.europa.eu/transport/clean/green_paper_urban_transport/followup_en.htm,  c) 
the CIVITAS initiative http://www.civitas-initiative.org/ 
See also SmartGrids European Technology Platform www.smartgrids.eu, for technologies like HVDC 
(High-Voltage, Direct Current) and FACTS (Flexible Alternating Current Transmission). 

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renewable energy sources (RES), the spread of co- and micro-generation (micro-grids, virtual 
power plants), and new user demands require the use of the most advanced technologies for 
monitoring and control as well as for electronic trading of electricity.  

Way forward: 

•  Support awareness raising and foster the exchange of information and best practices in new 

ICT-based business models for distributed generation (DG)  

•  Reinforce multidisciplinary RTD on ICT for power networks, involving researchers from 
both  the  ICT  and  energy  domains.  The  EU’s  Seventh  Framework  Programme  will  be 
instrumental here, along with national and regional research programmes: 

–  Support for  RTD  actions cutting  across disciplines and  themes related  to  energy 
efficiency. Candidate topics are: Hardware components, Monitoring and Control, 
Management  of  Complex  Power  Systems,  Intelligent  Metering,  and  Distributed 
Generation.  

•  Foster the use of national and regional programmes, the relevant operational programmes 
supported by the Cohesion Policy and the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Programme 
for the deployment of ICT-enabled monitoring and control research results for distributed 
electricity generation: 

–  Large-scale pilot(s) on ICT-enabled distributed generation systems integrating the 

co-generation/virtual power plant approach.  

Example of good practice: 

Denmark  now  generates  half  its  electricity  through  decentralised  grids,  with  combined  heat 
and  power  accounting  for  80%  of  local-area  heating,  and  wind  power  about  20%  of  all 
electricity.  As  a  result,  its  carbon  dioxide  emissions  have  tumbled  from  937  grams  per 
kilowatt hour in 1990 to 517 grams per kilowatt hour in 2005. 

2.2.2.  Towards energy-smarter homes and buildings 

The issue: 

More than 40% of the energy consumption in Europe is building-related (residential, public, 
commercial and industrial)19. The Action Plan for Energy Efficiency estimates that the largest 
cost-effective  energy  savings  potential  lies  in  the  residential  (around  27%)  and  commercial 
buildings (around 30%)20. 

Advanced, flexible and integrated ICT-based energy management systems for both new and 
old  buildings,  in  combination  with  widespread  control  of  natural  lighting  and  ventilation  as 
well as better insulation (of windows, floors and ceilings), will help not only to reduce energy 
consumption  but  also  to  increase  safety  and  security,  to  promote  welfare  and  to  facilitate 
assisted living.  

Such  systems  —  including  smart  metering  and  advanced  visualisation  —  can  continuously 
gather data on what is taking place in a building and how its equipment is operating, feeding it 
into  a  (cognitive)  control  system  to  optimise  energy  performance.  At  the  same  time,  a 
heightened energy consumption awareness is expected to stimulate behavioural changes both 
at household and enterprise level. 

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Recital (6) of the EPBD 2002/91/EC.  
See also The European Construction Technology Platform - www.ectp.org. 

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Way forward: 

•  Reinforce multidisciplinary RTD involving researchers from both the ICT and the building 
domains.  The  EU  Seventh  Framework  Programme  will  be  instrumental  here,  along  with 
national and regional research programmes: 

–  Support for RTD actions cutting across disciplines and themes. Candidate topics 
are:  Energy  Visualisation,  Energy  Management  Systems  for  Buildings  and 
Neighbourhoods  

•  Foster the use of national and regional programmes, the relevant operational programmes 
supported by the Cohesion Policy and the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Programme 
for the deployment of ICT-enabled research results: 

–  Large-scale  pilots  of  energy  management  systems  for  public  and  commercial 

buildings  

•  Support  awareness  raising  and  foster  exchanges  of  information  and  best  practices  in  e-

metering21  

Example of good practice: 

Gains of 7% have been observed in Finnish households just by providing consumers real-time 
feedback on their consumption. Early trials suggest the energy savings in companies could be 
as high as 10%.  

2.2.3.  Towards smart lighting — indoor, outdoor and street lighting 

The issue: 

According to the Action Plan on Energy Efficiency, about one fifth of the world’s electricity 
consumption  is  for  lighting,  presenting  a  major  potential  for  savings.  The  adoption  of  high-
efficiency light-emitting diode (LED) technology, already available on the market, could save 
30%  of  today’s  consumption  by  2015  and  up  to  50%  by  2025.  By  adding  sensing  and 
actuation  capabilities  to  energy-efficient  bulbs,  so  that  they  automatically  adjust  to  the 
environment  (e.g.  to  natural  light,  people’s  presence)  —  intelligent  lighting  –  further 
improvements are possible. 

light-emitting  diodes 

Organic 
technology  under 
development. OLEDs have the advantage of possessing a uniformly diffuse emitting surface, 
while  remaining  very  energy-efficient  and  environmentally  safe.  Furthermore,  OLEDs  are 
form-free  and  could  be  made  on  flexible  materials,  opening  up  a  wide  range  of  new 
possibilities. 

(OLEDs)  constitute  a  promising 

Way forward: 

•  Together  with  the  lighting  industry  and  municipalities,  promote  voluntary  agreements 

aiming for: 

–  Adoption  of  progressively  smarter  energy-efficient  lighting  for  all  outdoor  and 

indoor public spaces. 22 

•  Reinforce research and technological development (RTD) in new lighting technologies and 
applications.  The  ICT  Theme  in  the  EU’s  Seventh  Framework  Programme  will  be 
instrumental here, along with national/regional research programmes: 

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According the Directive 2006/32/EC  
To complement the measures taken in the framework of the Community's eco-design policy. 

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–  RTD  on  lighting  technologies  and  on  intelligent  lighting  applications  (for  both 

indoor and outdoor systems).  

•  Encourage,  via  the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Programme  and  via  the  managing 
authorities of the  relevant operational programmes,  the  deployment of intelligent lighting 
systems.  

Example of good practice: 

In  May  2007,  the  FP6  (Sixth  Framework  Programme)  IST  project  OLLA  (Organic  LED 
technology for Lighting Applications) delivered OLEDs with an efficiency of 25 lm/W, which 
is twice as efficient as a standard incandescent lamp. 

2.3. 

Increasing  the  visibility  and  improving  the  understanding  of  ICTs  for  energy 
efficiency 

The issue: 

In order to increase the visibility and improve the understanding of the current and potential 
impact of ICTs as an enabler for energy efficiency, the various communities of stakeholders 
(industry,  academia  and  research  institutes,  consumers,  public  authorities,  etc)  need  to  get 
involved  and  work  together.  To  this  end,  cooperation  needs  to  be  promoted  between  all 
interested  players  at  local,  regional,  national  and  European  level.  In  this  particular  case, 
bringing together sectors as diverse and distinct as ICTs and energy is rather challenging, as 
the approaches, and even timelines for investment, are quite contrasting (short-term for ICTs 
versus very long-term for energy). 

Way forward: 

•  Launch a consultation and partnership process on ICTs for Energy Efficiency with the aim 
of  creating  momentum  and  concerted  efforts  towards  developing  and  deploying  user-
friendly  ICT-based  solutions  to  support  other  policy  areas  addressing  energy  challenges. 
The  relevant  and  active  business  partners  (small  to  large  enterprises)  will  be  involved  in 
the  process  as  well  as  research  and  academia  stakeholders;  national,  regional  and  local 
authorities; and specific consumer groups. The process will focus on:  

–  Promoting interoperability among solutions and standardisation work 

–  Coordinating awareness raising and sharing of best practices 

–  Advising on operational details, the effects of regulation and the impact of energy 

market liberalisation 

–  Encouraging the production of RTD roadmaps and identify RTD priorities 

–  Ensuring  synergies  with  relevant  policies  and  initiatives  like  URBACT  and  the 

Amsterdam Forum23. 

–  Recommending actions to be taken to follow up this Communication 

•  Launch  an  information  gathering  and  analysis  exercise  on  the  impact  of  ICT  on  energy 

efficiency. 

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http://www.senternovem.nl/amsterdamforum/index.asp 

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3. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The combined climate and energy policy is at the heart of the EU’s political programme. This 
will bring about alternative ways of running our daily lives so that Europe can continue on the 
path of growth and jobs while leading the global effort to tackle climate change and energy 
efficiency.  

This  communication  highlights  the  potential  of  ICTs  for  improving  energy  efficiency  (i.e. 
enabling  energy  productivity  growth)  and  opens  a  debate  on  priority  areas.  It  proposes  to 
focus  on  the  most  promising  domains  —  namely  the  power  grid,  smart  buildings,  smart 
lighting and ICT itself — to boost awareness raising and exchange of best practices, reinforce 
RTD,  promote  take-up  and  foster  demand-driven  innovation.  It  also  notes  that  special 
attention should be paid to urban areas, which represent a particular challenge in this context 
and can provide the right setting for testing, validating and deploying ICT-based solutions.  

This  communication  is  launching  a  consultation  and  partnership  process  together  with  an 
information gathering and analysis exercise that will provide the basis for the elaboration of a 
second communication in which the main areas for action should be identified. 

It  aims  to  facilitate  increasingly  closer  cooperation  among  all  stakeholders  with  the  aim  of 
unlocking  the  potential  of  ICTs  to  improve  energy  efficiency,  thereby  promoting  the 
competitiveness  of  European  industry,  creating  a wealth  of  opportunities,  jobs  and  services, 
and building an everyone-wins momentum for industry, users, and society at large. 

Member  States  are  invited  to  take  initiatives  as  well  as  to  actively  support,  and,  where 
possible,  coordinate  complementary  national  and  regional  initiatives,  including  those 
supported  in  the  framework  of  the  Cohesion  Policy.  The  European  Parliament  is  invited  to 
give its opinion on ICTs as a key enabler for energy efficiency and the broader implications of 
securing  affordable  and  sustainable  energy  for  Europe.  Strong  cooperation  is  also  expected 
from the Committee of the Regions and the European Social and Economic Committee. 

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   EN