| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Under the national strategy of a "let informatisation drive industrialisation, and let industrialisation promote informatisation", China's electronic information industry has achieved continuous and dramatic development during the last three decades. It has now become one of the most essential pillar industries for China's national economy. However, severe pollution issues and environmental challenges emerge at different stages throughout the lifecycle of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products, from their design, development, and manufacturing to use and to disposal. Evidence shows that much effort has been put to increase industrial profit margin, improve indigenous innovation, and overcome the negative effects of the 2008 financial crisis on China's electronic information industry. Nevertheless, environmental issues have traditionally received less attention from industrial manufacturers and users of ICT products (e.g. CEOs, managers and employees of companies, and individual citizens). China is still in its infant stage in building up a green electronic information industry. This paper discusses and highlights the importance and impacts of current environmental challenges faced by the electronic information industry, as well as to propose the implementation of Green ICT as a key strategy to ensure environmental-friendly use of ICT equipments and thus maintain sustainable development of this industry in the long term.
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