Critical Connections: Greening the TMT Sector "Legislation for Change"

Like most people today I am working from home – as you can see. I am in the Mont Blanc massif close to many of Switzerland’s glaciers – which regrettably are disappearing fast. 

This is something I feel passionate about and since joining ITU in 2007 I have devoted a lot of energy to raising the importance of digital technologies to fight climate change. We started participating in the UN climate change conferences and with the help of some of our private sector members organized side events to raise the awareness of delegates to the important role of ICTs in mitigation and adaptation, and in monitoring. It was a difficult task to start with but now it is well recognized and after the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic I don't believe anyone can doubt the importance of this technology, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G and the others, for addressing today’s key challenge.

ITU, as the UN specialized agency for ICTs is at the forefront of this digital transformation. We are leveraging the power of these technologies in critical areas ranging from smart cities and earth monitoring to natural disaster risk reduction, e-waste and energy consumption. By “we” I mean ITU and its unique membership of 193 governments and over 900 sector members – private sector companies in the telecom and Internet sector along with a diverse range of other industries increasingly dependent on ICTs ─ as well as our academia members. Together we are working on harmonizing the radio spectrum and developing technical standards to ensure interoperability, reduce costs through economies of scale and minimize the digital ecosystem’s carbon footprint.

ITU has a study group on environment, climate change and circular economy, which develops international standards that provide energy-efficiency solutions for telecommunication networks, infrastructure and mobile devices, methodologies for evaluating their environmental performance, and guidance on transitioning to a circular economy and the environmental requirements of 5G. 

As we know the ICT sector footprint has grown substantially but let’s not forget that this is due to a huge increase in the utilisation of technology -not because the devices are not energy efficient. Energy efficiency is a major factor when starting work on a new standard and the devices today are tens of times more energy efficient that they were a few years ago.

One of ITU’s core functions is to maintain the Radio Regulations, the only international treaty on the use of the international use of the radio spectrum and satellite orbits. The treaty harmonises on a world-wide basis essential spectrum used for early warning, disaster prediction, detection, mitigation and relief operations relating to emergencies and disasters – as well as protecting of the unique spectrum needed for satellite weather sensors used for global prediction and warnings.

A common set of measurement metrics and reporting is essential to incentivise and encourage greater efforts to become more sustainable. The United 4 Smart Sustainable Cities initiative led by ITU in collaboration with UNECE and UN-Habitat with another 13 UN agencies and programmes, has set some key performance indicators which are being used in more than 100 cities around the word to evaluate their effective use of the technology to make better policies and build smarter and more sustainable cities, not just in words but deeds. 

ICTs are a key part of building back better for a greener, more sustainable, and more connected world. But the window for action is closing fast. Glaciers are shrinking, biodiversity is collapsing and the decade that is drawing to a close was the hottest decade in human history.

It is important that we all take responsibility. As individuals, as organisations – ITU for instance has been climate neutral since 2015 and we are currently in the process of stepping up our internal sustainability efforts within our industry and across sectors. 

With the lockdown and travel restrictions during COVID-19 ICTs have proved their importance to feel connected to others and carry on our work. They help to foster an understanding of how interconnected the world has become and that the pandemic, the SDGs as well as climate change are not the problem of some, but of all of us. 

And since almost half the world’s population is still unconnected, ITU is keen to collaborate with all stakeholders to find ways of turning today’s digital transformation into a development transformation that will benefit all wherever they live, and ensure effective climate action particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable who are often hit the hardest.

My hope is that we will use this unique moment in history to strengthen collaboration and cooperation inside and outside our industry. At stake is our ability to build the digital infrastructure to connect all and give everybody access to digital technologies that are safe, attractive and affordable and will change the world for the better.