Political leaders gathered in December in Paris to hammer out an historic new climate change agreement. Many people think that addressing climate change requires difficult trade-offs. But if policymakers, businesses, and consumers embrace the information and communications technology (ICT) transformation underway right now, not only will we be in a better position to usher in a low-carbon future, but we will reap major economic and social benefits at the same time. Simply put, ICT innovations can disrupt business as usual and radically reshape the way we live.

Here's a snapshot of what this transformation looks like. Think about technologies like smart grids and smartphones. They are no longer merely enablers of doing business, but drivers of market disruption and creation. Take Airbnb, which has risen to become one of the world's most powerful companies without owning a single hotel. Or consider Uber, a global transportation business without a single car in its fleet. That's the power of ICT.

The digital technologies behind these successes are the same ones that can address climate change. With the window rapidly closing to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius – the internationally agreed defense line against the worst effects of climate change – these technologies have the potential to quickly deliver profound environmental, economic and social benefits.

In response to this urgency, more than 30 of the world's leading ICT companies have joined forces through the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). The initiative, released a ground-breaking report in June called #SMARTer2030 that was commissioned to Accenture Strategy. The report, the third installment in the recognized GeSI SMART series, shows that ICT can slash greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2030, generate more than US$ 11 trillion in new economic benefits, and save more than US$ 5 trillion each year as a result of lower consumption of energy, fuel and other resources.

This means using these technologies right now to disrupt all sectors of the economy, from energy to food, from manufacturing to health, and from transportation to electronics. It means reducing the amount of energy we use, and then using that energy more efficiently.

In the United States, for example, the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network is accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels. ChargePoint is transforming the transportation industry by providing the charging stations, mobile app and network allowing people to charge their cars everywhere they go. ChargePoint has enabled EV drivers to avoid more than 35 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions and 41 million litres of gasoline, while driving more than 430 million gas-free kilometres. As more EVs replace traditional vehicles, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation will continue to fall.

ICT is also changing consumer behavior. Fairphone is a Dutch social enterprise working to build sustainable and conflict-free smartphones. Fairphone is expanding the market for ethical products and giving a voice to consumers that care about social values. Fairphone is a truly "smart" phone because it addresses the full lifespan of mobile phones, including use, reuse and safe recycling. It is designed for longevity by being durable and containing parts that can easily be replaced by the user if something breaks. Fairphone sells spare parts and offers repair tutorials to help make the phone useful for as long as possible, helping cut e-waste.

Not only can these technologies cut emissions, they can also boost resilience to the effects of climate change. Innovative solutions are helping Pacific Island nations prepare for and adapt to sea level rises brought about by climate change. Government decision-makers are being trained to use online tools and flood maps to understand and mitigate the risks of sea level rise. Using these maps, they can better understand and communicate climate change risk to communities and put adaptation plans in place.

ICT will make it possible to shift to an energy system based on renewables, such as through development of smart grids. Smart agriculture will boost yields by nearly one-third – preventing one-fifth of food waste globally – and could deliver economic benefits worth almost USD 2 trillion.

Real-time traffic information, smart logistics, intelligent lighting and other solutions could avoid 4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. And by the year 2030, these technologies could also benefit some 450 million e-learners around the world.

Policymakers, business leaders and consumers all play critical roles in making this bright future possible. Setting and enforcing global and national minimum targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is of course necessary – and something world leaders achieved at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris.

The ICT industry supports the new climate change agreement but is not waiting for policymakers to enable society-wide transformation. This transformation is irresistible, inevitable and already underway around the world.

As leaders start putting the Paris agreement into action, we urge them to embrace future global development driven by connectivity and the spread of ideas, information, and innovation. Starting now.

Luis Neves is the chairman of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, and Sustainability and Climate Protection Officer/Executive Vice President at Deutsche Telekom Group