Legal Literacy - Information technology contributes to the climate crisis. However, Indonesia faces a legal vacuum in implementing Green IT. Learn about the regulatory gaps and solutions here.

Introduction

Information technology (IT) is no longer just a support, but has become the backbone of modern life. However, behind its ability to accelerate productivity lies a high environmental cost. The rapid growth of IT, as revealed in Zuraidah's research (2022), has had a significant negative impact through massive energy consumption and increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, which ultimately contribute to global warming.

The Digital Sector's Carbon Footprint: A Real and Growing Threat

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is now recorded as one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions in the world. A report in Journal of Cleaner Production highlights that its contribution has increased drastically from just 1% in 2007 to 3.5% in 2020. This figure is even predicted to jump to 14% in 2040. Specifically, emissions from devices we hold every day like smartphone have skyrocketed by 730% in the last decade.

In Indonesia, this trend is in line with the increase in the number of internet users which, according to an APJII survey, reached 196.7 million in 2020. This massive dependence, if not managed with a wise policy framework, will only exacerbate the environmental crisis that is already in sight.