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Name :	OGHIA, Michael J.
Date :	December 02, 2021
Organization :	Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA)
Country :	Germany
Job Title :	Director of External Relations
Contribution :	Digital technologies have a profound impact on the environment, yet is an area that has largely been ignored by policymakers and regulators. Given the breadth and complexity of the digital infrastructure ecosystem, which spans more than 30 industries globally, it is critical that the relationship between digital technologies and the environment receives greater scrutiny so that we can truly foster a sustainable digital economy. With our replies below to the four questions that the CWG-Internet poses, we seek to highlight the knowledge gaps that exist while also highlighting important resources and recommendations. As the ITU examines the relationship between digital technologies and the environment, we encourage Member States to work with digital infrastructure and ICT industry members, the rich community of academics, technical community members, and nongovernmental organizations working on ICT sustainability issues, and local and regional governments to holistically and collaboratively address the challenges we face across silos and stakeholder groups. Specifically, we recommend that Member States commit to creating a more enabling policy and regulatory environment for sustainability, in-line with Paris Climate Agreement commitments, SDG targets, and other relevant international frameworks, and assist in making the business case for sustainability by demonstrating the value that it brings to people and communities, the planet, and economic growth. An important step in realizing this would be to facilitate the creation of a global, unified, and transparent reporting scheme capturing the most important metrics to measure the environmental impact of the Internet and the supporting digital infrastructure.
Attachments :	SDIA Response - ITU CWG-Internet Consultation 2021.pdf