The UN CTCN is hosting a 3-day capacity building programme on the applications of digital agriculture technology

Between 14 and 16 December 2022, the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), in collaboration with the Seoul National University Global R&DB Centre, is holding a 3-day capacity building programme on ‘Digital Technology Applications in the Agriculture Sector’ for National Designated Entities and officers from concerned Ministries of Agriculture.

The application of digital technologies in agriculture can help transform food systems, contributing to the three stages of sustainability, namely efficiency, substitution, and redesign. The workshop will introduce digital technology enhancements in sustainable agriculture and food systems. Technology, climate finance and policy experts will present current information regarding CTCN technical assistance projects focused on enhancing national capacities and sector-specific climate challenges. Participants will have the opportunity to co-design these projects.

EU lawmakers: Batteries produced in Europe to be the most sustainable in the world

The European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement to revise EU rules on batteries. The new set of rules is to account for the current technological development and future challenges and will cover the entire battery life cycle: from the extraction of raw materials, to industrial production, to end-of-life disposal.

Once approved, the new regulation will be applied to all batteries sold in the EU, from portable batteries in electronic devices, to batteries used in electronic vehicles, e-scooters, and e-bikes. Moreover, all batteries must display a ‘carbon footprint declaration’, outlining the carbon expended in production. Batteries will also be required to contain QR codes that link to the information related to their capacity, performance, durability, and chemical composition.

The agreement, which is yet to be formally approved by the Council and Parliament, relates to a proposal for a regulation on batteries and waste batteries put forward by the European Commission in December 2020.

ITU Partner2Connect Annual Meeting

The first annual meeting of the ITU Partner2Connect Coalition will be held on 8 December from 09:30-17:30 CET at ITU’s Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Partner2Connect Digital Coalition (P2C) is a multistakeholder alliance to mobilize and announce new resources, partnerships, and commitments to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity. It was founded in 2021 by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, in close cooperation with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, and the United Nations Office of the High representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UNOHRLLS).

The one-day meeting will engage high-level representatives and pledge makers from government, private sector, civil society, and other sectors to learn about the progress on committments, discuss the challenges and opportunities for connecting the unconnected, as well as network and share experiences, which will further advance global digital transformation.

Further information about the event can be found on the official webpage.

Bridging the digital divide with Public ICT Access Centres for access to free ICT literacy training and online education

In September 2022, the Ministry of Digital Transformation committed itself to the unveiling of up to 50 ICT Access Centres across the country by the year’s end. The commitment came on the heel of the release of the UNDP’s Digital Readiness Assessment Report in March 2022, which highlighted key problem areas for the country in its quest for whole-of-government, whole-of-society digital transformation as including:

1. The lack of access to broadband internet in public spaces and schools, regardless of area within the country.
2. Older residents and those outside of urban centres receive reduced digital benefits.
3. The effects of COVID-19 exacerbated digital divides on education level.

The Access Centres allow visitors to Connect and Create, Educate and Innovate, while the government has partnered with key organisations such as the Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA) Online Programme, YTEPP, and the Microsoft Philanthropic Group to bring these goals to fruition.

To this date, twelve centres have been installed, while five are open and ready to serve.

Amazon Web Services to be water positive by 2030

Amazon Web Services, Inc. has announced plans to become water positive by 2030, ‘returning more water to the communities than it uses in its direct operations’. The company plans to issue annual reports on its water use efficiency metric, new water reuse and recycling efforts, new activities to reduce water consumption in its facilities, and advancements in new and existing replenishment projects. The announcement details that new replenishment projects are scheduled in India, the UK, and the USA.

Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation 2022 Report: Digital Technology Empowers Agricultural Value Chain Development

The Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation 2022 Report: Digital Technology Empowers Agricultural Value Chain Development, released at the 2022 International Forum on Digital Technology Empowering Rural Transformation, was prepared by the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in China, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) China Office, the World Food Programme (WFP) China Centre of Excellence, the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP-CSAM), AliResearch, and the Chinese Academy of Financial Inclusion.

The report outlines development trends linked to utilising science and technology for rural areas empowerment, and highlights best practices, focusing on those that are innovative, sustainable, and replicable. One key finding is that smart farming solutions and e-agriculture platforms and applications are contributing to optimising production, reducing costs, increasing knowledge sharing, and promoting sustainable development of agriculture.

Also included in the report are case studies in which the application of digital agricultural technologies helped farmers increase productivity with fewer resources while safeguarding the environment and reducing carbon emissions. It further looks at how digital technology has empowered Chinese value chains and supported the development of rural e-commerce and digital finance, thus alleviating poverty in the western and eastern regions of the country.

WHO report recommends to strengthen the evidence base to monitor digital health transformation

Despite the positive role that digital health has played in improving healthcare access, safety, and quality, a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) points out that digital health programmes and interventions are often not monitored or evaluated.

Titled Monitoring the implementation of digital health, the report argues that existing metrics for measurement and evaluation tend to be left behind by the rapid evolution of digital health. It then calls for the incorporation of health data measurement and governance into healthcare systems. Making available information more accessible at the national and international levels, addressing the variability in digital health monitoring, paying closer attention to monitoring digital health inequalities, and addressing the potential risk of exacerbating inequalities among the most vulnerable, including young children, are all necessary steps to improve monitoring activities.

Ethereum Climate Platform launched at COP27

Ethereum (ETH) software company ConsenSys, along with other leading tech and Web3 companies and civil society groups, co-launched the Ethereum Climate Platform (ECP) at COP27, in Egypt. The initiative aims to ‘redress and counteract’ the carbon footprint produced by ETH since its inception in 2015. It will fund science-based climate projects to mitigate carbon emissions and promote positive socioeconomic impacts in the long term.

The platform is expected to serve as a model for other companies around the world as a way to compensate their past emissions and tackle climate change.

Singapore and Microsoft plan to improve sustainability for digital technologies

Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Microsoft have announced a public-private partnership to advance the development of green digital solutions. The partnership will promote knowledge sharing on learnings, certification pathways, best practices, and standards for the effective measurement and reporting of carbon emissions generated by software applications. It will also explore modalities to advance the implementation of principles and tools for the development of green technologies. A joint framework that guides developers to build sustainable software will be created and applied through the Singapore GreenTech Challenge, whose outcomes will contribute to the energy reset pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. In addition, both parties intend to promote sustainable technological solutions to help SMEs to measure, track, and report their carbon emissions. 

The role of digital technologies in helping to achieve the SDGs gains prominence at the G20 Bali summit

On 15-16 November 2022, G20 members gathered at the 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in Bali. As usual, at the end of the event, the leaders released a declaration. The document consists of 52 paragraphs and repeatedly underscores the importance of accelerating digital transformation to achieve the SDGs.

Members recognise the key role that digital technologies play in building a resilient and sustainable food system and agriculture. They pledge to support the adoption of innovative practices and technologies – including digital – in this sector to increase productivity in harmony with nature and ensure its sustainability.

Overall, the statement adopts an ambitious tone towards sustainable actions and the commitment to a more inclusive, human-centric, empowering, and sustainable advancement of digital transformation.