Global technology and environment leaders at the ongoing United Nations Climate Talks (COP29) holding in Azerbaijan have endorsed a declaration on boosting climate action with digital technologies while cutting the environmental impacts of those same technologies.
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 on Saturday at the High-Level Roundtable of the COP29 Digitalisation Day convened by the COP29 Presidency with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
According to a statement from the 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 – 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.”
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.
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