The European Union has just reached agreement with its 27 member states on a historic climate and energy policy:

• By 2020, CO2 emissions across Europe are to be cut by 20% as compared to 1990 emissions.
• Renewable energy sources are to make up 20% of the EU’s energy mix by 2020 – up from their current 6.5% share.

Still to be completed is the detailed, country by country negotiation to achieve these goals.  This could still be a very thorny wicket depending upon the particular energy situation within the individual country.  For instance, France with up to 70% of its electricity being atomic energy based will be arguing for that to be accepted as clean energy.  This position, currently, does not have general EU support.  Poland is rich in coal and will have a difficult time rebalancing its energy consumption to meet the policy objectives and so on.

The US, while not yet having formulated a policy addressing greenhouse gasses and global warming, is working toward similar goals emphasizing renewable energy, electric vs. hydrocarbon based power and reduced CO2 emissions.  Much of the current activity is at the state level without the benefit of a national policy but very much subject to local lobbying.

Quietly, almost unnoticed is another trend that is also affecting the generation of greenhouse gasses.  It is the impact of the Internet and World Wide Web on our socio-economic environment.  It is reflected in the emergence of the Amazon’s of the retail world allowing us to search for and purchase products to satisfy our needs.  Even grocery shopping is succumbing to the trend with ‘Simon Delivers’.  Last Christmas season all of my gift shopping was accomplished on line.  My family is slowly catching on and I am sure that they will become as enthusiastic as I am in shopping this way.  The major retailers haven’t missed this trend because they are now integrating online shopping as a major component of their retailing strategy.

Online shopping is not only convenient, it is much more efficient than the old way of shopping.  It is:

• Faster, one doesn't need to get in the car and go searching store by store to find the item(s).  Online catalogues can be searched with a few keystrokes.  Online stores are open 24/7 regardless of time zone one.  Gifts can be wrapped and shipped directly to the final destination saving a trip to the shipper.  Delivery can be as quick as overnight.
• Cheaper, online stores are automated.  They do not have display shelves to stock, checkout stands to man or, in most cases, inventory to maintain since it can be centralized at major distribution points.  Also, the online business has become very competitive.  With readily available search tools one can search through large numbers of suppliers for the best product and best price.

The net effect is fewer trips to the store, less fuel burned, and fewer emissions while saving money.  The UPS or FedEx delivery is much more efficient than the family limo, delivering hundreds of packages on a single trip.  Of course, this affects the local retailer and, as has happened so many times in history, there must be an adaptation to the new environment.  For instance, CompUSA is closing all four stores in Minnesota due in no small part to online shopping.  So much information is available online now and so many people are going online that it is impacting the distribution of printed information.  For instance, advertising is following the consumer and migrating to the Internet at an ever increasing rate.  Newspaper advertising is beginning to shrink as are newspaper subscriptions.  Fewer newspapers, less paper used, fewer people printing and delivering newspapers and so on.  Who uses the Yellow Pages book any more?  I find it much more convenient to search the web.  Millions of books are no longer needed so fewer trees, fewer print shops, few deliveries.  You get the message.

Major corporations have not missed the online trend.  Working from home using remote access tools is becoming more common.  The impact: less office space, less power, less travel, less rush hour congestion.  Why travel to meetings when a video conference can be set up on short notice, resulting in less travel and less unproductive time.

Even education and training is going online with similar results.

The millions of packages shipped and thousands of people working online from home are evidence of what is happening.  Already greenhouse gasses are being reduced but not being counted, probably due to economic growth.  The trend is a good one.  It is providing benefits now but it needs to be accelerated to achieve the maximum potential.  Businesses and consumers need to be encouraged to more fully exploit the online world.  Broadband Internet connections need to be available to everyone at the lowest possible cost.  Small businesses need help in adapting to the shifting and emerging marketplace.

This is not a plea aimed at shrinking our economy but at seizing the initiative for healthy growth that will benefit everyone without destroying the planet we live on.

What do YOU think?