ITU-T Recommendations

While a framework for assessing the environmental impacts of the ICT sector exists (developed by the ITU in, for example, Recommendation ITU-T L.1410 on environmental life cycle assessments of information and communication technology goods, networks and services), best practices for equipment identification, developed specifically to assess the environmental impacts of network architecture, are lacking. In this Recommendation, key equipment in networks are identified for smoother life cycle assessment (LCA) calculations. Different types of network architecture employ different goods which entail differences in terms of energy usage, e-waste generation and environmental footprints. This Recommendation will examine three types of network architectures and will suggest an appropriate set of equipment to be considered for each. This Recommendation will begin to support network designers in determining the environmental and circular performance of different network architectures. Recommendation ITU-T L.1050 utilizes information compiled from stakeholders which can provide good insights into the specified potential challenges.