Managing the environmental footprint of the Information Society
Geneva, 21 May 2007 -- The Information Society can play an
increasingly significant role in promoting sustainable development and
a healthy environment. It can also be a tool for empowering the public
and strengthening participatory democracy. However, its potential in these
areas is not being fully realized, according to the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE). In particular, efforts to close the ‘digital
divide’ need
to be accompanied by stronger measures to curb the growing negative environmental
impacts arising from increased usage of information and communication technology
(ICT) .
At the United Nations Regional Commissions event entitled “The Information
Society – From Declaration To Implementation”,1 being
held parallel to the annual session of the Commission on Science and Technology
for Development, the Secretary to the UNECE Aarhus Convention2,
Mr. Jeremy Wates, will examine the challenges and opportunities that ICT presents
to achieving a more environmentally sustainable future.
Closing the digital divide is a major policy goal of the WSIS follow up
activities. It is estimated that the rate of growth in participation in the
Internet will exceed 10 percent per year during the five year
period 2005-2010. This has significant environmental implications, both positive
and negative.
“The potential for ICT to reduce environmental impacts is considerable,
e.g. through using teleworking or virtual conferencing to cut down on transport
emissions,” according to Mr. Wates. “However, ICT carries its
own environmental footprint. Even as we seek to make the best use of the new
electronic media, we must remain aware of the challenges ICT poses to achieving
sustainable development, and make efforts to minimize the potential environmental
damage.”
These challenges include ensuring that the production of information
and communication technologies is clean and efficient, and that the energy
used to power the ICT sector – most especially the Internet – does
not undermine efforts to respond to the threat of global warming. Another
concern is the illicit movement of transboundary wastes that originate
from ICT usage in the developed world and end up being dumped in landfills
of the developing world. At least 100,000 scrapped computers are arriving
in the port of Lagos, the Nigerian commercial capital, every month.3 There
are also more indirect effects, such as the use of the Internet to spread
information that promotes unsustainable lifestyles and environmentally
damaging choices.
The event will also provide an opportunity to explore how new forms of
electronic communication are being used to promote greater transparency
and facilitate public participation in decision-making. In the environmental
sphere, the Aarhus Convention provides an international framework within
which countries from throughout much of Europe and Central Asia have taken
on a legal obligation to promote the availability of environmental information
through the Internet.
“The Internet has allowed a dramatic increase in the exchange
of information between citizens and their Governments. Yet the immense
potential for electronic participation in decision-making has not yet been
realised,” say Mr. Wates, citing the findings of a recent survey
under the Convention to assess the implementation of electronic access
to environmental information.4
At the side event, the ECE secretariat will announce the launch of a
new phase in the development of the Convention’s Aarhus Clearinghouse
for Environmental Democracy (http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org),
a global electronic portal. The Aarhus Clearinghouse enables Governments
and citizens to share electronically information on their activities promoting
environmental democracy. It collects emerging practices around the globe
in the areas of access to information, public participation and access
to justice in environmental matters.
For further information, please visit www.unece.org/env/pp or
contact:
Mr. Jeremy WATES
Secretary to the Aarhus Convention
UNECE Environment, Housing and Land Management Division
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: 41 (0)22 917 2384
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 0634
E-mail: [email protected]
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1 The Regional Commissions
event, which features panels on “ICT and Sustainable Development” and “ICT
and Globalization,” will take place on 21 May 2007, in Geneva.
2 UNECE Convention on Access
to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice
in Environmental Matters was adopted in June 1998. The 41 Parties are:
Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the
European Community.
3United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner, speaking before the
Eight Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Basel Convention, Nairobi,
Kenya, on 27 November 2006.
4 Summary report on the
implementation of the recommendations of the Meeting of the Parties on
electronic information tools (decision II/3). Addendum to the
report of the fifth meeting of the Task Force on Electronic Information
Tools (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2007/L.3/Add.2). UNECE. 12 April 2007.
Ref: ECE/ENV/07/P09