About DESC

The Digital Energy Solutions Campaign (DESC) brings together information and communications technology (ICT) companies and associations, non-governmental organizations, customers and other stakeholders who recognize the enabling role that ICT plays in improving our environment and driving long-term economic growth.  DESC was launched in 2008 and in 2010 was moved to the Information Technology Industry Council to help advance the Campaign’s work.

We are committed to achieving a common objective: advancing policies that help drive sustainable economic growth through ICT-enabled energy efficiency and clean energy innovation across every sector of our nation’s economy.

Consider the facts:

• Today ICT represents two percent of the global carbon footprint, but is revolutionizing how businesses, consumers and governments decrease their carbon footprint worldwide through smart homes, smart buildings and smart grids.
• For every one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used by ICT, from six to 14 kWhs of electricity are saved in the overall economy, or 10 kWhs on average.
• The use of smart technologies could reduce U.S. CO₂ emissions by as much as 22 percent by 2020 – that’s $240 billion in cost savings or a reduction of 36 percent in imported oil.  Globally, smart technologies can reduce CO₂ by as much as 15 percent. (more info)

Increasingly, the barriers to applying smart technologies for a sustainable economy stem less from a lack of technical know-how and more from legal, regulatory and cultural questions that inhibit the deployment and use of smart solutions at the scale needed to transform systems like the electricity grid, transportation, and energy use in buildings and homes.

Developing sustainable products and introducing targeted policies that address key challenges will be an ongoing process, but it is an area in which the ICT sector and its partners are leading by example. We hope that DESC will show you exactly how ICT can bring a net positive impact in the global climate challenge and point the way toward helpful policy changes.

We welcome your ideas, insights, feedback and best practices as we work together toward a stronger and more sustainable economy.