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Global tech and environment leaders at COP29 have endorsed a declaration on boosting climate action with digital technologies while cutting the environmental impacts of those same technologies.
RELATED: COP29: Digital Tech commits to lowering climate impact at Inaugural Digitalisation Day
In total, endorsements representing over 1,000 governments, companies, civil society organizations, international and regional organizations, and other stakeholders were received for the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action.
The Declaration was presented today at the High-Level Roundtable of the COP29 Digitalisation Day convened by the COP29 Presidency with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
“The first-ever Digitalisation Day at COP29 marks a new chapter in climate action, embedding digital technology as a transformative tool,” said Mukhtar Babayev, President of COP29 and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources. “With the launch of the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, we have a unique opportunity to combat the climate crisis while urging the digital industry to take responsibility for its environmental footprint. From artificial intelligence in climate modelling to optimising renewable energy systems, digital advancements are key to accelerating sustainable solutions on a global scale.”
Digitalisation Day – First ever at a UN Climate Conference
Digitalisation Day – the first ever at a UN Climate Conference – and the resulting Declaration are part of a series of COP29 activities focused on tech and climate action organized by ITU and its partners for Green Digital Action 2024.
“This milestone moment for Green Digital Action at COP29 should propel us forward with the shared belief that we can and must reduce the environmental footprint of digital technologies while leveraging their undeniable potential to tackle the climate crisis,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Let’s keep building our green digital momentum all the way to COP30, and with it, a more sustainable digital future for generations to come.”
Unlocking digital technology for climate action
The COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action recognises the importance of digital technologies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The objectives in the declaration underscore how digital innovations can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and provide life-saving tools to inform and warn communities.
“These technologies are an important driving force towards achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in areas such as climate monitoring, early warning systems and building resilience to climate challenges,” said Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport.
The declaration also highlights the adverse impacts of digital technologies themselves on the climate, such as the growing resource consumption and emissions associated with data centres and artificial intelligence (AI), the carbon and pollution footprints of tech manufacturing. The growing challenge of e-waste is also underscored.
Objectives for digital inclusion and accessibility
The declaration, which also promotes digital inclusion and accessibility, is built around eight common objectives
- Leveraging digital technologies for comprehensive global action on GHG emissions, energy efficiency, climate monitoring and forecasting, and strengthening of emergency response and preparedness.
- Building digital infrastructure that is resilient to climate change impacts.
- Reducing the impact of digital technologies on the climate and facilitating emissions reductions to net-zero by powering digital infrastructure with clean energy and establishing approaches to measure and monitor climate impacts of tech, while minimizing resource intensity and tackling e-waste.
- Making digital technologies for climate action accessible to developing countries while helping improve digital literacy, especially among young people and women.
- Using data to fully understand the impact of green digital solutions and monitor regulatory adherence.
- Encourage, with due regard to intellectual property rights, sustainable innovation by mobilizing existing climate funds, investing in innovation, research and development, and utilizing environmentally sustainable digital technologies and resilient infrastructure.
- Promoting sustainable consumer practices.
- Sharing best practices for digital policies and technologies to reduce GHG emissions and enhance adaptation and resilience.
“The World Bank is committed to supporting a green digital transformation,” said Sangbu Kim, the World Bank’s Vice President for Digital Transformation. “Last year, our green digital investments increased three-fold to USD 700 million. We are committed to expanding this support to help countries implement the objectives of the Green Digital Declaration.”
Next steps
ITU, the UN agency for digital technologies, is working to establish a public database for comprehensive emissions reporting by tech companies worldwide.
ITU’s Greening Digital Companies report, produced with the World Benchmarking Alliance, and the Global E-waste Monitor, produced with UNITAR, have raised awareness about the sector’s climate and environmental impacts.
The commitments made in Baku advance the Green Digital Action effort to build collaboration, develop practical solutions, mobilize industry-wide climate support, and strengthen global frameworks for greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and reporting.
