by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – GLOBAL technology and environment leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) have endorsed a declaration on boosting climate action with digital technologies while cutting the environmental impacts of the same technologies.
They are meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan until November 22.
In total, endorsements representing over 1 000 governments, companies, civil society organisations, international and regional organisations, and other stakeholders were received for the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action.
The Declaration was presented on Monday 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.
The official believes with the launch of the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, they 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,” Babayev said.
Digitalisation Day – the first 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 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.
– CAJ News