Does IT have boundless influence on energy consumption?

摘要

The paper summarises work on two research projects: The influence of information technology (IT) on energy consumption in the textile industry and the influence of a large research endeavour in the IT domain on Swiss national energy consumption. In light of these projects, the question is examined whether the systems boundaries for analyses were drawn properly and whether it is even possible to draw "correct" systems boundaries for these types of problems. The answer depends on the scope of the question. The discussion is conducted taking the influence of IT on energy consumption as a surrogate for the more general problem of IT's influence on sustainable development.