Cool connections: we made it possible!

More than 130 stakeholders took part in ETNO's first Cool Connections event on 9 December. The room at the Marivaux was packed with people and expectations regarding what promised to be an unusual evening in Brussels starring live links to some of the most remote places on Earth.

Coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference, Cool Connections vividly demonstrated the innovative ICT solutions that are already being explored all across the world for curbing carbon emissions. From the Princess Elisabeth station in Antarctica sponsored by Belgacom, to Telenor's research station in Svalbard, Northern Norway; passing through the air base of the Solar Impulse Plane in Switzerland, the audience was engaged via videoconference in an animated discussion with experts on site.

Alain Hubert, a well known Polar explorer, presented the work of the first polar base that is entirely designed and built as a 'zero emission' structure, thanks to the use of ICT. Connected from Switzerland, Michael Guggisberg from Swisscom discussed the technology that will help the first ever zero-fuel plane to lift its feet off the ground and write history in both aviation and sustainable transport. Telenor experts working in the Arctic, at almost 80 degrees north, gave account of the crucial value of a high capacity fibre network in collecting and distributing information on oil spills, changing ocean currents, northern weather, or melting ice.

The connections were followed by a lively panel debate where Fabio Colasanti of the European Commission and MEP Jo Leinen gave further weight to the necessity of including the ICT sector's potential in contributing to sustainable solutions in the fight against climate change. The panel was completed with the contributions of Dennis Pamlin, consultant for WWF on ICT issues, Gee Rittenhouse, of Alcatel Lucent, Colum Joyce of IMR World and Danilo Riva, Telecom Italia, Chairman of the Sustainability Working Group at ETNO.

As for ETNO and our Members, Cool Connections was just a flavour of the potential we see in our sector to help Europe achieve significant reductions of CO₂ emissions in line with the Copenhagen objectives. We look forward to continue working with stakeholders in Brussels and in the Member States to make it possible!

See the photos of the Cool Connections event here
Watch the Swisscom Solar Impulse videos here
Watch the Telenor Svalbard video here
Photo presentation of the Princess Elisabeth station on Antarctica available here

If you want to attend or receive email updates about our Cool Connections event please register.