GSN Carbon Measurement Protocol

Although the goal of this project is to reduce carbon emissions caused by ICT, the key technical task is to measure such emissions. Reduction – with or without measurement -- is certainly a positive development; however, quantification is required by the emerging legislative / economic context of cap-&-trade. Furthermore, the measurement process must meet identified tandards in order to be considered legitimate. When quantifying carbon reduction for the purposes of selling this reduction to an organization needing to offset their own carbon emissions, the ISO 14064 standard is the basis for guaranteeing that that the reductions have the stated quantity.

ISO 14064 has never been applied to measurement of carbon emissions related to ICT. There is nothing inherent in the standard that prevents this. However, the standard is written at a very general level. Identifying the particular measurements appropriate to ICT is a central activity of the GSN Project -- the resulting document is the GSN Carbon Measurement Protocol.  

Process Overview

The protocol will be more specific than ISO 14064, but more general than just the planned network implementations within the GSN project. The protocol will describe what has to be measured, but not how it must be measured. The protocol may indicate acceptable estimation methods for certain measurements.

ISO 14064 offers many opportunities to estimate, rather than directly measure, quantities related to carbon emissions. However, such estimates are typically based on other forms of measurement. For example, if the computers upon which the ICT service runs are different in the original high carbon environment and the subsequent low carbon environment, then one must use performance measurement data for the two types of computer to relate the quantities of power used in the two environments. This performance data may be derived from lab-bench measurements, or from the manufacturer’s product data.

Carbon emissions related to ICT are typically comprised solely of emissions caused by electrical power generation. Power is used to run the ICT devices, and also for maintaining the operating environment, including heating & cooling, lighting, etc. Modern ICT devices & facilities tend to perform many functions in parallel. When only some of these functions are relevant to carbon reduction, then one must measure & estimate the partitioning of consumed power into the relevant and non-relevant quantities.

Figure 6: Creation and utilization of Carbon Measurement Protocol in conformance to ISO 14064

The preceding discussion has introduced some of the issues and complexity that will be faced during creation of a carbon measurement protocol for ICT. The GSN Project team will be lead by Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Climate Change Services Director Dr. Michel Girard throughout the protocol development process. Combining the diverse expertise within the GSN team -- including networks, ICT services, data centers, and power measurement -- CSA’s knowledge & experience with the ISO 14064 protocol development process ultimately will result in the project achieving CANARIE’s goal of selling carbon credits. This, in turn, provides the proof needed by industry & universities in order to further utilize the GSN protocol in their efforts to reduce carbon footprints. Development of the GSN Carbon Measurement Protocol will engage technical expertise from inside and outside the GSN Project. This knowledge will translate directly into know-how for carrying out the measurements later in the project. The knowledge will also be captured in the GSN Model, which provides a set of building blocks for construction of “carbon accountable” ICT services. In these senses, the protocol is a central element of the requirements specification for subsequent technical development within the GSN Project. That being said, there are many aspects of the protocol which can be anticipated before its completion, thereby allowing the GSN Project to move forward with technical work prior to completion of the protocol.