Abstract

Information systems are key enablers for both the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. However, most of the treatises on climate change say little about their beneficial role in climate change initiatives and programs. There have been several reports which see Information Technology (IT) as a major polluter through energy used over the life-cycle of IT devices and e-waste. Indeed the contribution of IT to global emissions is estimated to be around 3%. However, this negative aspect should be balanced against IT’s enormous potential to contribute innovative solutions to climate change problems of both mitigation and adaptation. Information Systems (IS) experts can contribute their knowledge and expertise of traditional organizational systems; the transformations made possible by the Internet; and the exciting potential of pervasive and ubiquitous social media. This paper takes a conceptual approach to develop a taxonomy of IS-based activities. An expert explanation of this taxonomy is provided by applying a combination of activity and complexity theories.