Technology Report.Technology experts,government officials,policy makers and engineersare meeting this week in Italy.They have gathered in Romefor the first Green StandardsWeek conference.Italy's Ministry of EconomicDevelopment and the InternationalTelecommunications Unionorganized the conference.The event calls attentionto the need for informationand communication technologiesto fight climate changeand to build greener, moreenvironmentally-friendly economies.In recent years, the worldhas changed because so many peoplenow use computers, mobile phonesand other kinds of electronic devices.But the increasing use of informationand communication technologies,also known as ICTs,also has led to more pollution,especially greenhouse gas emissions.This is mostly because ofthe energy used to manufacture,transport and operate such equipment.Still, many experts say ICTsoffer the best chancefor reducing greenhouse gases.The Global Information SocietyWatch reported last yearthat ICTs could help to cuttotal production of greenhouse gasesby as much as fifteen percentby twenty twenty.Alan Finlay is with the Associationfor Progressive Communications.He also helped to preparethe GISWatch report.He says the effect of using ICTsto build cleaner environmentsis far more powerfulthan their harmful effects.ALAN FINLAY: "When you're lookat greening with ITs,you're looking at the impact of ICTson the environment but alsowhat ICTs can be used in orderto improve the impact ofother industries on the environment.And I think the overwhelming consensusis that you can't throw the baby outwith the bath water.And ICTs can do more goodin a sort of macro context."Mr. Finlay says the GISWatch reportand events like the ITU'sGreen Standards Week are meantto look at the ICT industry as a whole.ALAN FINLAY: "To our mind you can'treally divorce issues like e-waste--- which you see the massive negativeconsequences in Asia for instance,and direct impact on poor people'slives and well being --- from the equation.So, both need to be lookedat the same time.The ITU says a main goal of the conferenceis to set clear policies for measuringand improving the ICT industry's effecton the environment.Another goal is to note the importanceof green ICT standards and values.The Rome meeting is taking placeless than three monthsbefore the United NationsClimate Change Conferenceopens in Durban, South Africa.And that's the VOA Special EnglishTechnology Report,written by June Simms. Transcripts,MP3sand podcasts of our reportsare at 51voa.com.