ITU Highlights Standards to Reduce Emissions, Drive Environmental Action

Stories by Emma Okonji

The International Telecommunications Union, the United Nations Agency responsible for global telecoms regulation, has decried the increasing rate of carbon emissions and their environmental impact across the globe, despite the emergence of digital technologies that are renowned for creating unprecedented efficiencies, including cutting greenhouse gas emissions across industries.

Chair, ITU-T Study Group 5, Mr. Dominique Würges, who raised the alarm, is of the view that countries and organisations that aim to achieve net-zero emissions while advancing sustainable digital transformation, require understanding of how to mitigate the carbon footprint of digital technologies use across various verticals.

According to him, the ITU standards set out a promising path to mitigate climate impact both within the industry and beyond.

“The recent Green Digital Action Summit hosted by the ITU and the German Environment Agency, further enabled a valuable exchange of ideas on aligning environmental goals with digital innovation.

At the heart of this effort is the development and implementation of international standards that support measurable, impactful environmental action across the information and communication technology (ICT) sector,” Würges said. 

He said ITU-T Study Group 5, which leads ITU’s work on environment, climate action, circular economy and electromagnetic fields, developed two key standards: ITU-T L.1472 and ITU-T L.1480.

According to him, ITU-T L.1472, provides the foundation to create a structured database on tech-related energy use and emissions worldwide. Crucial data would include energy consumption and emissions data from ICT organizations, national-level estimates based on reported data, and official government statistics.

The database will enable transparent reporting and better decision-making by providing policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders with reliable data on the ICT sector’s environmental impact, he said.

To support its implementation, ITU plans to launch a pilot project to collect data in line with ITU-T L.1472. Countries and organizations are invited to participate in this effort, helping to build a reliable foundation for climate-smart digital transformation, Würges added.