The Financial Times has a great article on a recent report by Climate Risk (PDF) and the efforts of Sol Trujillo, Telstra's chief executive, to reduce Australia's carbon output. Few nations are more acutely aware of the possible effects of climate change since the onset of a debilitating, multi-year drought.

But as CEO of Australia's largest telecom, he thinks his industry can do better to help reduce the number of vehicles on the road and thereby cutting carbon. One way to accomplish this is to push teleconferencing.

Teleconferencing is an important part of this vision. Mr Trujillo is frank about its failure to live up to the promises of the late 1980s – “the technology was not that exciting, you spent more time setting it up than on the call” – but he believes “one click” conferencing will attract much greater take-up.

Last year, Telstra conducted 20,000 hours of video conferencing calls, which it calculates eliminated 4,200 tonnes in travel-related emissions.

Of course, teleconferencing isn't a cure all; it's just one of many benefits faster, wider-piped connections can provide. Needless to day, some telecoms on this side of the Pacific could use a little bit of that enlightened outlook.