1. The internet of things : a killer app for global environmental sustainability? Tony Vetter Global Connectivity, IISD

2. Outline IISD What is sustainable development? How does it link to IoTs? Networked Governance Sensor Web What are the challenges? Data Management Internet Governance

3. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Founded by Canada in1990 in response to the Brundtland World Commission on Environment and Development Non-profit, non-governmental research and policy institute working on: Trade and investment Climate change and energy Natural Resources Management Measurement and Assessment Reporting on International Negotiations Global Connectivity 150 people located in more than 30 countries

4. What is sustainable development? Integrated perspectives Brundtland definition: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Economic Environmental Social / Cultural Governance Innovation Communications

5. How are we doing? 5 Source: WWF Living Planet Report 2008

6. What’s the problem? 6 Source: WWF Living Planet Report 2008

7. How can ICTs help achieve environmentally sustainable development? 7 Source: WWF Living Planet Report 2008

8. Sustainable development and technology Two concepts: Limitations and possibilities the limits that the world’s ecosystems may reach as a result of the state of technology and social organization the possibilities for sustainability that result from changes in technology and social organization Technology, in particular communications technology, is supporting and changing how we organize our governing systems, our economies, and our cultures in unprecedented ways.

9. What is “Networked Governance”? Emerging patterns of ICT-enabled interaction that are transforming –Economic, social and government structures (the information economy and society, wikinomics, etc.) –Communication among individuals, groups and communities (social networking, web 2.0, etc.) –Interactions between natural and artificial environments (the Internet of Things, ubiquitous networks, etc.)

10. Internet of ThingsInternet of Things "A billion people interacting with a million e- businesses, with a trillion intelligent devices interconnected“ (Lou Gerstner, CEO IBM, 1995) By 2015 there will be 1 trillion sensors linking the physical and digital worlds* merging to become an “Internet of Things” –list of applications is limited only by our imagination *“RFID: Why we need a European policy”, EU RFID 2006 Conference: Heading for the Future, Brussels, 16 October 2006

11. Implementation Local Global Observation Global Environmental Observation GIS systems Atmospheric Vegetation / Ground Water Surface / Water Temperature GHG Tracking Consumption metering Atmospheric measurements Reporting Systems Mash-ups / SOA / Web 2.0 Global Action / Management Plans Early Warning Systems Famine / Drought Natural Disasters Environmental Mitigation Carbon-trading Conservation Planning International Agreements Ratification Implementation Local Environmental Observation Capacity building Awareness of threats Identifying impact Data Entry Web 2.0 / Wiki data logs Appropriate Technology SMS / Mobile Phone usage Cultural adaptation Local Action / Management Plans Resource Management Access / Allocation Enforcement Support and Funding Professional Development Response Planning Early warning response Conflict avoidance Applications Empowered by Internet of Things

12. Urban Sensing*Urban Sensing* *Environmental Monitoring with Mobile Phones (Accra, Ghana), Intel Research in California

13. Semantic Sensor Web*Semantic Sensor Web* Neil Gross, "The earth will don an electronic skin," BusinessWeek, August 1999 In the next century, planet earth will don an electronic skin. It will use the Internet as a scaffold to support and transmit its sensations. This skin is already being stitched together. It consists of millions of embedded electronic measuring devices: thermostats, pressure gauges, pollution detectors, cameras, microphones, glucose sensors, EKGs, electroencephalographs. These will probe and monitor cities and endangered species, the atmosphere, our ships, highways and fleets of trucks, our conversations, our bodies--even our dreams. - *Semantic Sensor Web Project @ Knoesis Center, Wright State University - Dayton, Ohio

14. Internet as a tool for social homeostasis* Homeostasis: set of processes that organisms use to regulate their internal environments –constantly monitoring environments and changing behavior based on feedback “Internet of things” will enable refined, user empowered, environmental monitoring, both locally and globally *World Economic Forum, Network of Global Agenda Councils - Future of the Internet

15. User Participation - Sensor WikiUser Participation - Sensor Wiki Integrate IoT sensory streams into the web –contributing real-time info as "Wiki Pages" Users "look-up" information about the objects, events or places of interest interactively –add intelligent interpretations of what they observe –add to content to improve accuracy, or other useful information in the "Wiki" spirit –record sensor streams for assessment and characterization of situation or event of particular interest to a specific community

16. Data ChallengesData Challenges data stove piped – lack of integration data without knowledge – lack of info and knowledge management systems sensor data needs to be contextual –spatial, temporal, and thematic –W3C and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standardization efforts useful information while ensuring privacy ensuring data accuracy preventing sensor tampering and system misuse

17. Internet Governance ChallengesInternet Governance Challenges For the internet to act as a medium for homeostasis mechanisms, it needs to –be free, open, uncensored, accessible, multilingual –Support universal connectivity Goal: allow bottom up, vertical and lateral information flows Technology neutrality (un-tethered) IPv4 and IPv6 must effectively cohabitate Freedom of cross boarder data flows

18. For further information on IISD ICT & SD activities, contact: Heather Creech, Director Global Connectivity Program (hcreech@iisd.org)hcreech@iisd.org Tony Vetter, Project Officer, Global Connectivity Program (tvetter@iisd.org)tvetter@iisd.org