Information and Communications Technology and Institutional Design for Climate Change

Information and communications technology (ICT) can be used to gather data on environmental conditions, forecast future events and regulate human behaviour. Although the potential of ICT as a tool for environmental regulation (¿informational governance¿) has not yet been fully explored, it impacts on climate change governance internationally, by creating new opportunities for networks; nationally, by lowering transaction costs for both the public and private sector; locally, by facilitating innovation and transparency; and in the organization, through networking and internal reflection and assessment. It enables more responsive and iterative regulation, innovative combinations of information and easier cross-border collaboration. However, ensuring that data is available may require changes to liability and intellectual property rules, and individual privacy must be protected. This paper provides preliminary recommendations as to the reforms that may be needed. It concludes that an awareness of the potential and problems of ICT must inform the design of climate change institutions, and further research is necessary in order to gain a full understanding of these issues.