ABSTRACT

Latest technologies and the upheaval of Internet of Things (IoT) have fueled research in almost all areas related to human beings, disseminating anytime, anywhere, any device information access to human beings in different ways. This phenomenal research in recent decades aims to synergize human, data, processes and things, organizations, places, services, and facilities together in exceptional ways. Although IoT offers ample benefits to human society, still the process of manufacturing, utilization, implementation, and distribution of IoT services and devices requires voluminous energy and resources, ultimately producing ever- increasing toxic electronic waste. To mitigate the potential negative impacts of the latest scientific developments in the area of IoT on human society and environment, it has become mandatory to effectively deal with the threats and challenges posed by IoT. These challenges mainly include enhanced energy consumption, generation of electronic waste, emission of greenhouse gases (mainly CO2), utilization of non-biodegradable materials for IoT devices, usage of non-renewable and natural raw materials. This situation has created a need to move towards Green IoT (G-IoT), a future technological enhancement of IoT associated with green technology and the green economy. Green IoT is aimed towards bringing notable improvements in environmental and human well-being so as to make the world smarter using sustainable technological developments. G-IoT is the need of the hour and it carries the potential to completely transform human society along with improving environmental health. G-IoT is the latest technology that emphasizes developing solutions towards eliminating or mitigating the negative influences on people’s health and the environment. It basically focuses on two aspects. The first aspect is oriented towards designing IoT computing devices, communications protocols, and networking architectures that are energy efficient. The second aspect is oriented towards leveraging IoT technologies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, radiation, and pollution. Using the technological advancements in IoT enabling technologies, G-IoT has great capability to strengthen environmental and economic sustainability. This chapter presents an overview of the need and importance of green technologies and green processes in sustainable development and building a smart world. It goes on to explore the principles and applications of G-IoT in the growth of the society by examining its potential to enhance the quality of human life, economic growth, the environment, and green global modernization.