Why digital and energy need to evolve together

By Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau

When we develop international standards, we build consensus across borders and disciplines around common goals, principles, and technical requirements.

And just as standards help technologies work together, they provide a common language supporting our work together across the public and private sectors and different sectors of our economies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has forged even stronger bonds between already converging industries. However, the need to address its fast-expanding energy and climate impact is one more reason different industries need to stay connected and collaborate more closely.

Every 14 October, with World Standards Day, we pay tribute to the many thousands of experts who work together year-round on new and evolving international standards.

This year, we reaffirm our commitment to standards development aligned with a key global development goal: sustainable energy.

Standards are key to provide energy for the data-driven future – energy that is clean and sustainable, as well as reliable, affordable and accessible to everyone, worldwide.

Standards for energy efficiency

All around the world, governments, the digital industry, researchers and international partners are innovating to boost energy security, lower environmental impact, and spread digital benefits sustainably.

These goals are highly interconnected.

Energy systems are becoming more intelligent, connected and adaptive – critical attributes to maximize energy efficiency and optimize the use of renewable sources.

So, just as digital transformation depends on reliable power systems, power systems now depend on digital transformation.

AI has become a key part of the puzzle, too – both driving demand for power and helping improve energy efficiency.

As more data centres are planned and built, the key investment and operational choices must be made in tandem with decisions on energy grids.

Unlocking the energy future

Standards from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) support powerline communications and smart grids, sustainable power feeding, and the collaborative management of digital and energy infrastructure. They also cut energy leakage and show how AI can enable energy-efficient networks and data centres.

Our standards for timing and synchronization ensure resilient power supply and smart grids.

Our latest measurement methodology shows how to assess environmental impacts over the entire lifecycle of AI systems.

And one of our new standards provides energy-saving strategies for deep-learning computing.

Our AI Standards Exchange Database brings ITU standards together with those from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to provide a full picture of global standards for emerging AI.

More ITU standards for environmental sustainability.

Make your voice known

Enormous opportunities are ahead.

AI’s predictive powers could prevent power outages. Digital twins can make city infrastructure planning smarter and maintenance more proactive. Fibre sensing helps detect risks to networks before they become threats.

These are just a few reasons, among many others, that digital experts and energy experts are going to need each other’s input even more.

ITU’s unique global membership includes governments, companies and academia, and we have the highest representation of developing countries among the world’s top-tier standards development organizations.

We are a key venue to connect research, business and policy, and help every country build the capacity to benefit from new technologies.

I welcome you to join us.

Check out the World Standards Day 2026 video!