Cristina Bueti Symposium on ICTs and Climate Change

Cristina Bueti Symposium on “ ICTs and Climate Change” 8 -10 July 2009, Quito, Ecuador www. itu. int/climate International Telecommunication Union

Committed to Connecting the World ITU & Climate Change § ITU is the leading United Nations Agency for ICTs ØCommitted to Connecting the World. Committed to Connecting it responsibly § ITU mandate on Climate Change Ødates back in 1994 (Res. 35, Kyoto) ØResolution 73 on CC approved at the WTSA (Johannesburg, Oct. 2008) Ø Opinion 3, WTPF (April 2009) UN Secretary. General, Ban Ki-moon: "ITU is one of the very important stakeholders in the area of climate change. “ § ITU is co-facilitator in issues related to WSIS Action Line C 7: e-environment § ITU’s activities on climate change can be found at: www. itu. int/climate July 2009 2

Committed to Connecting the World ITU and Climate Change § The ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) manages the detailed coordination and recording procedures for space systems and earth stations, which are used for climate data collection and environmental monitoring. . . § ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) develops standards that are used, for instance, in promoting energy efficiency, safe disposal and recycling of telecommunication/ICT equipment, and next-generation networks. . . § ITU's Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) works on promoting a role for ICTs in the protection of the environment in its e. Environment and e-Sustainability programmes… § The General Secretariat coordinates our efforts and for example has been actively participating in the work of the UN Chief Executives Board and its subsidiary bodies on developing a unified and collaborative UN strategy to combat climate change, including a matrix on activities of each agency and program. July 2009 3

Committed to Connecting the World TOWARD A NEW GLOBAL FRAMEWORK 2007 COP-13 in Bali launched process for negotiation of new Agreement Ø established AWGLCA (Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action) to develop work program 2008 AWGLCA meetings Ø Bangkok (31 March– 4 April) Ø Bonn (2 -13 June) Ø Accra (21 -27 August) 2009 Meeting of COP-14 Ø Poznan, Poland (1 -12 December) 2009 COP-15 meets and expected to conclude Agreement Ø Bonn (29 March-8 April) Ø Bonn (1 -12 June) Ø Three further sessions will be held prior to Copenhagen: 10 -14 August in Bonn (informal meeting); 28 September-9 October in Bangkok and 2 -6 November in Barcelona. Ø Copenhagen (7 -18 December) July 2009 4

Committed to Connecting the World WTSA-08 § Resolution 73 on Climate Change Ø Notes conclusion of GSS that ICT industry can set an example by committing to specific programs with objectives to reduce overall GHG emissions Ø Recognizes that ICTs can make a substantial contribution and be a major factor to mitigate the effects of climate change, for example through energy-efficient devices, applications and networks Ø Resolves that CC is a high priority in ITU as part of our contribution to UN processes and global efforts to moderate climate change Ø Resolves to promote adoption of recommendations to ensure greater energy efficient of ICT devices and reduce GHG emissions in all sectors July 2009 5

Committed to Connecting the World High-Level Segment (HLS) of the ITU Council 2008 § HLS brought together Presidents of Burkina Faso and Rwanda along with Ministers, regulators and heads of UN agencies and focused on climate change & cybersecurity. (12 -13 November 2008) § Declaration of the ITU Secretary General on climate change: Ø “ITU is mainstreaming this major issue into its regular work programme. ITU is undertaking important work on how ICTs can help prevent and avert climate change. There is a strong role for ITU in standards for energy efficiency of the ICT equipment on which our digital economy depends. ITU has always taken the lead in setting high standards for telecommunications and ICTs, and this is another key area in which ITU can make a real difference. ” July 2009 6

Committed to Connecting the World WTPF – Opinion 3 § World Telecommunication and Policy Forum was held on 2224 April 2009 in Lisbon, Portugal Ø Lisbon Consensus - Opinion 3 “ICT and the Environment” § Invited: – the ITU Secretary-General a) to bring the content of Resolution 73 (WTSA-08) on Information and communication technologies and climate change to the attention of the ITU Council and take appropriate actions, taking into consideration the United Nations commitment to lead by example, to achieve climate-neutral status within three years; b) to continue, within the mandate of the ITU, to cooperate and collaborate with other entities within the UN in formulating future international efforts for the effective addressing of climate change, and to report the results of these efforts to the Council; – The Deputy Secretary-General and the Directors of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, the Radiocommunication Bureau and the Telecommunication Development Bureau a) to continue to work together, and with relevant study groups, to raise the awareness of these issues, especially in developing countries, as work progresses in their respective Sectors; b) to promote liaison with other relevant organizations in order to avoid duplication of work and to optimize the use of resources. July 2009 7

Committed to Connecting the World ITU & Acting on Climate Change: The UN System Delivering as One § ITU is contributing to the effort of the UN system to “deliver as one” to address climate change and is taking the necessary steps to deepen the global understanding of the relation between ICTs and climate change. § "Acting on Climate Change: The UN System Delivering as One" July 2009 8

Committed to Connecting the World Assisting Developing Countries § Develop guidelines, training materials and toolkits on technology & policy aspects of e-Environment applications § Assist developing countries in implementing relevant ICT applications for environment and sustainable development § Challenges and opportunities I NEED ITU’s HELP! Ø Awareness promotion Ø Work with international partners for capacity building and coordinated initiatives Ø Support developing countries for pilot project implementation. . . with highest priority to climate change Ø Monitor and evaluate results; share best practices with other countries July 2009 9

Committed to Connecting the World ICTs for e-Environment Report § Objective: Provide guidelines for developing countries on the use of ICTs for better management and protection of the environment as a key part of their development process, with particular focus on climate change § Examines six areas of ICT use: Environmental Observation, Analysis, Planning, Management & Protection, ICT Mitigation and Capacity Building § Recommendations for developing countries: Ø Strengthen national analysis, planning and implementation Ø Use existing and new financial mechanisms Ø Foster technology transfer Ø Promote best practices Ø Promote Public-Private partnerships July 2009 10

Committed to Connecting the World ICTs for e-Environment Report (cont. ) § Building on these recommendations, ITU has initiated a series of activities to assist decisionmakers in ITU Members States: Ø e-Environment Readiness Index: Methodology and indicators for assessing a country’s level of eenvironment readiness Ø e-Environment toolkit: Practical guidelines for assessing needs and establishing strategies for the implementation of national e-environment master plans Ø Direct assistance to countries in need: Using the developed tools to facilitate the deployment of infrastructure and related ICT services Ø Capacity building: Workshops and training material to assist Member States in the development of master plans and the deployment of diverse ICT applications July 2009 11 11

Committed to Connecting the World Next Steps § Circulate the Toolkit draft report and § § the EERI and obtain feedback Support developing countries in conducting e-Environment readiness assessments Aid selected countries in developing e. Environment strategies and action plans, in collaboration with partners (see Annex) Monitor and evaluate results Share best practices with other countries July 2009 12

Committed to Connecting the World “Climate Change is a global challenge that the world cannot lose. ” Dr Hamadoun I. Touré ITU Secretary-General, 13 November 2008 “Climate change is the defining challenge of our era. ITU’s work to cut greenhouse gas emissions, develop standards and use ‘e-environment’ systems can speed up the global shift to a lowcarbon economy. Ban Ki-moon United Nations Secretary-General, 12 November 2008 July 2009 13

Committed to Connecting the World More information § ITU Activities on Climate Change http: //www. itu. int/climate § or by contacting us at: climate@itu. int July 2009 14

Thank you for your attention! International Telecommunication Union cristina. bueti@itu. int International Telecommunication Union