Emerging issues, challenges and opportunities.
This session on "Environmentally sound management of e-waste: emerging issues, challenges and opportunities" was part of the WSIS Forum 2013.
Information and Communication Techonologies (ICTs) are rapidly growing and expanding throughout the world, pervading all sectors of human activity and contributing to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries with regard to access to technology. However, as the volume of ICTs increase, the volume of e-waste (WEEE) increases even more, posing serious environmental, socio-economic and health-related challenges.
In order to tackle these challenges, a comprehensive waste management approach, which encompasses environmental and socio-economic considerations, is vital to help countries and stakeholders involved to adopt and improve an environmentally responsible management of WEEE.
The session provided an overview of best practices on policies, regulations and international standards for improving e-waste management. Panelists at this session discussed how WEEE has a negative impact on the environment and human health, but can also provide opportunities to create green jobs, curb health problems, cut greenhouse gas emissions as well as economic incentives for recovering valuable metals from redundant, excessive or end-of-life ICTs.
Programme
Moderator: Cristina Bueti, Advisor of ITU-T Study Group 5 “Environment and Climate Change”, ITU
Panelists:
Organized by
