Championing digital technologies for monitoring, mitigating and adapting to climate change
ICTs provide opportunity not only for sustainable development but also for addressing the effects of climate change. They deliver smart applications, transform service delivery and can reduce carbon footprint in the areas of energy, waste, and water management. However, a growing information society increases energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). E-waste is increasing in volume and is hazardous for health and the environment.
ITU activities during COP-27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, included: an exhibit on “Turning digital innovation into climate action”; four UN Climate Change Learning Partnership “Climate Classrooms”; three side events co-organized with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt (MCIT); and presence as an invited panellist at a number of MCIT pavilion events.
In October 2022, ITU jointly organized the 14th Symposium on ICT, Environment, Climate Change and Circular Economy in Rome, Italy, focusing on Sustainable Digital Transformation and the Role of ICTs and Digital Technologies in Achieving Net Zero Carbon.
Greening Digital Companies: Monitoring Emissions and Climate Commitments report was jointly authored by ITU and the World Benchmarking Alliance and documents the emissions and energy use of 150 of the world’s leading tech companies. The report was launched during two online webinars.
In December 2022, the Coordination Committee approved ITU’s first environmental sustainability policy. According to the Greening the Blue Report 2022, based on 2021 data, ITU’s GHG emissions decreased significantly as official travel was on halt due to COVID-19. More details on efforts to reduce ITU’s footprint can be found on the ITU entity page on Greening the Blue.
Additionally, ITU is:
- Continuously developing energy efficiency standards for 5G equipment and specifying edge data centre infrastructure.
- Identifying measures necessary to assess counterfeit ICT products’ environmental impact and promoting awareness of this.
The next United Nations climate conference, COP28, offers a prime opportunity to showcase and scale up digital climate action.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), together with partners spanning the UN, governments, business, and civil society, will convene the Green Digital Action track at COP28 to:
- Examine the key role of data and digital technologies to accelerate progress on climate commitments.
- Mobilize bold action to promote the green and digital transitions among governments, business, and civil society and others, including through the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.
- Catalyse opportunities for partnerships and broader coordination with key existing mechanisms like the Marrakech Partnership, the World Standards Cooperation, the Digital with Purpose movement or the UN Early Warning for All initiative.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a crucial role in climate monitoring, climate change adaptation and early warning systems; and mitigation measures, such as increasing energy efficiency, supporting green networks, and accelerating the development of circular economies along the value chain. At the same time, rapid uptake of data and devices increases energy consumption, ICT-sector emissions, material used, and e-waste all over the world.
The global digital transformation needs to go hand in hand with the shift to green energy solutions and a circular economy. COP28 is a chance to connect technology industries with governments and civil society — particularly with ITU’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), happening in the same host city, Dubai, UAE, at the same time.
