Space, ESA call for sustainability of ICT and electronics sector

A new call launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) opened yesterday, February 22, to develop space services and products that improve the sustainability of the ICT and electronics sector and reduce its impact on health and the environment. From e-waste management to battery recycling, these are the challenges of the ESA call.

The increasing proliferation of computers, tablets and smartphones, coupled with their ever-diminishing lifespan, is leaving an indelible footprint on our planet. According to a European Parliament working paper, ICT technologies are currently to be attributed between 5 percent and 9 percent of global electricity consumption and about 2.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Numbers that are expected to grow, given the increase in the number of people who will have Internet access and the demand for new network-based and interconnected services.

It is in this context, therefore, that the new "ICT Electronic Devices Susta