Countries and organizations step up Green Digital Action after COP29

Governments, companies and digital organizations from around the globe have made a unified pledge to ramp up climate action across the global tech industry.

With technology and environmental concerns becoming increasingly intertwined, the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action recognizes the tech sector’s growing share of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

But the document – widely endorsed during the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) – also highlights digital technologies as a crucial tool for sustainable development.

In total, the declaration received endorsements from 75 countries and over 1170 non-state entities (including companies, civil society organizations, international and regional organizations, and other stakeholders) by the time COP29 concluded on 24 November.

Against the backdrop of rising global temperatures and escalating weather-related hazards and disasters, the declaration aims to catalyse a shift towards climate-positive digital development.

The call for industry-wide climate responsibility builds on Green Digital Action, a public-private initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) a year ago with partners worldwide.

The World Bank, which tripled its green digital investments to USD 700 million last year, promised expanded support to help countries implement the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action.

COP29 Digitalisation Day

The COP29 Presidency, held this year by Azerbaijan, has put this dual role of tech at the forefront of climate negotiations.

The dedicated Digitalisation Day on 16 November – a first at the UN climate talks – featured a high-level roundtable on the “Digital Action Path for a Green World.”

Discussions in Baku on the transformative potential of digital technologies culminated in the adoption of the Green Digital Action declaration – aimed at promoting emission reductions across the information and communication technology (ICT) sector while simultaneously making green digital technologies widely accessible.

Aligning on common objectives

The declaration sets out eight key objectives:

1. Leveraging digital technologies and tools for climate action – with sustainable tech helping reduce GHG emissions, improve energy efficiency, and support climate-resilient communities, as well as enhance climate monitoring.
2. Building resilient digital infrastructure – with the critical infrastructure for digital systems being designed to withstand climate impacts and maintain functionality in adverse conditions.
3. Mitigating digital-related climate impact – with policies and technologies being developed to and cut GHG emissions to net-zero and minimize the resource intensity of digital technologies, both through energy efficiency and improved electronic waste (e-waste) management.
4. Promoting digital inclusion and literacy – with enhanced access to digital technologies and digital skills in developing countries, including the world’s least developed countries and small island developing states, ensured through capacity building among young people and women, along with support for start-ups, small and medium enterprises, and research institutions to foster sustainable local digital ecosystems.
5. Data-driven decision-making – with assessment methodologies to estimate the net climate impact of digital solutions, track and standardize climate-related data and energy usage, and monitor regulatory adherence and data quality.
6. Fostering sustainable innovation – by mobilizing existing climate funds and investing widely in environmentally sustainable technologies and resilient infrastructure based on open tech access, intellectual property protection, and broad collaboration between industries throughout the tech development process.
7. Encouraging sustainable consumer practices – through consumer awareness and education on sustainable digital consumption.
8. Facilitate the sharing of best practices – with countries sharing successful policies and tech applications to reduce GHG emissions and enhance adaptation and resilience.

The declaration text advocates for integrating digital sustainability into national climate strategies, investing in green technologies, and using science-based methodologies to demonstrate the positive impact of digital solutions.

It also emphasizes the need for digital technologies to meet goals set by the Paris Agreement and other international climate commitments.

From vision to action

The declaration invites national governments, international organizations, financial institutions, the private sector, academia, and civil society organizations to endorse these objectives and actively participate in making its vision a reality.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – which underlies the ongoing negotiation process on emission reductions – offers one key collaboration forum through the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism set up in 2010.

Leading tech companies and other stakeholders also continue coming together through the Green Digital Action initiative facilitated by ITU – the UN agency for digital technologies – and supported by more than 50 partners.

See the COP29 Presidency letter on expected declarations and pledges.
Read the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action.
Read the related press release.

Header image credit: ITU/Maximillian Jacobson-Gonzalez