Focus on greening digital chain from the beginning
It would be an understatement in today’s world to say that Digitalisation and green transformation have become two top priorities for governments and businesses around the globe. Global spending on digital transformation could top US$2.4 trillion by 2024-more than double of that in 2019 before the pandemic! This dramatic shift to digital everywhere has been driven by an increased understanding of how environment and climate changes can affect economic growth, asset values, and financial markets.
Digitalisation clearly has streamlined existing processes, transformed many industries and is widely seen as a major bridge towards a new carbon neutral world, writes Girija Pande, Singapore, and Frederic Donck, Brussels.
(Note: This article first appeared in The Straits Times, Singapore on 13th August 2021. The authors have agreed to republish it in Foreign Investors On India (fiinews.com). We are sharing this article with our readers, given India’s massive Digitalisation programme and the country being one of the world’s largest source of software engineers.)
While much of sustainability efforts have focused on digitalising traditional industries, the environmental impact of the Internet itself remains poorly addressed at a global level. Yet research shows it is huge. In their effort to “greenify” their activities, Digital Industry has committed to minimise the use of their equipment that is required to run the Internet ie tangible equipment (such as data centres, servers and end user terminals), or to use renewable energy wherever possible to minimise emissions. However, this misses the intangibles which too have their own carbon footprints.
For example, demand for internet traffic, data and digital services – which represent the intangible part of the Internet – is expected to continue its exponential growth globally and is at least doubling every year. Excluding this intangible part of the Internet would not only prevents an accurate assessment of the full environmental impact of the Internet but it will also deprive key stakeholders, the industry, the investors and governments, from accelerating their sustainability objectives.
Some examples will be illustrative. Numerous studies from think tanks indicate that carbon emission of the Internet itself is nearly twice as much as the (pre-pandemic) airline industry and its annual water footprint equals to one million Olympic swimming pools! Bitcoin mining activity is so carbon intensive that even Elon Musk of Tesla had to warn of its sustainability challenge.
One single intervention in the design of YouTube video streaming services would enable emissions savings of up to 586 KtCO2e, with equivalent carbon savings as Google’s entire effort in the past five years to change to 100% renewables(https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300627).
Besides Video streaming services, other services as such as roll out of 5G; massive build-up of Cloud; Online Ads; Gaming; Artificial Intelligence; Quantum Computing and Blockchain would offer similar benefits from a renewed emphasis on redesigning digital products and services which keep sustainability in mind.
This is why Brussels-based global organisation DigitalGoes.Green Foundation has been setup to research, advocate and bring together industry, governments and consumer groups who are all keen to keep the exploding digital services green. The focus must be to make sure digital services are “green by design” while being created itself. The Foundation is supported by many leading Institutions including EU and World Economic Forum.
Recognising that the digital economy is circular, DigitalGoes.Green works with every stakeholder involved in the financing, design, development, and deployment of digital services.
In Europe, the Foundation’s objectives align with the objectives of the European Commission for a Green Europe, particularly the EU Green Deal and Sustainable Finance.
The aim is to incentivise the digital industry to reach their sustainability targets by accelerating their existing efforts and offer businesses a competitive advantage while investing in eco-friendly and innovative digital services. Sustainability should be the new standard for investing and it can go hand in hand with the promises of an eco- responsible digital services sector.
Finally, one should empower users to make informed choices and shift demand in the digital services market for sustainable digital services and help policymakers to navigate in a sustainable digital services ecosystem.
As we start our journey towards sustainability in every human activity it would be wise to focus on the substantial impact greening of Digital products can bring. Singapore has been leading the digital and environmental challenge in Asia under its Singapore Green Plan 2030. It would be wise to focus on greening the digital chain itself – right from the beginning.
Girija Pande, is the Chairman Apex Avalon Consulting, Singapore and was previously President APAC Tata Consultancy Services. He serves on the High Level Advisory Board of
Digital Goes Green Foundation, Brussels.
Frederick Donck Heads Digital Goes Green Foundation, Brussels. He was Vice President for the Internet Society in Europe and also served as an Executive Board member to the European Association of Telecom Operators. #technology #environment #climate #digital /fiinews.com
