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.
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 (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’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.
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.
The Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN), a network of institutions hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and responsible for helping developing countries access environmentally sound technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, has launched its third Programme of Work for 2023–2027 at COP27. The new work programme focuses on the transformative potential of national systems of innovation (NSI) and digitalisation as enablers of technology transfer and development in five transformative systems: water-energy-food nexus, buildings and infrastructure, sustainable mobility, energy systems, and business and industry. It will explore how digital technologies and circular design can contribute to reducing global carbon emissions.
As examples, the document cites the role of data and digitalisation in early warning systems and nature-based solutions and digital technologies to support off-grid energy systems, including blockchain technologies for urban transport and building.
Along with this new programme, CTCN also launched the first joint work programme in collaboration with the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) to strengthen and accelerate efforts on transformative climate technology development and transfer. Digitalisation is among the activities included in the joint programme, which will focus on the role of distributed ledgers and green technology databases as support tools and resources for innovation cooperation.
As part of the Horizon Europe research programme, the Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space was selected by the European Commission to lead the ASCEND (Advanced Space Cloud for European Net zero emission and Data sovereignty) feasibility study for data centres in orbit.
The study will assess the possibility of launching, developing, and operating data centres in space using robotic assistance technologies, as well as verify whether the carbon emissions for installing the infrastructure will be lower than that generated by their ground-based counterparts.
In addition to helping the EU achieve its climate targets, the project could represent a groundbreaking development in the European space and digital sectors.
The Climate Chain Coalition (CCC), a multistakeholder network focused on advancing distributed ledger technology and related digital solutions (e.g. IoT, big data) to address climate response for mitigation and adaptation, released its stocktake report at COP27, Egypt. The document presents a review of the CCC members, showing their priorities for different types of applications, issues/sectors, stakeholders and target users, among other indicators. The data reveals, for example, that although 15 members have blockchain products commercially available, a significant number of members (97) are still researching the use of blockchain.
To continue promoting the CCC membership and partnership, the network launched a new strategy to enhance cooperation among members and other partners, deploy digital solutions, and encourage co-creation and co-leadership to build data and digital infrastructure through Climate Chain Labs to accelerate innovations for climate action.
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The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) initiative to support global efforts to detect and act on major methane emissions sources. Established as part of UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory strategy, MARS is a satellite-based system designed to detect emissions of methane and alert governments, companies, and operators so they can take rapid mitigation action.
Findings of the ‘Farmers and Digitalisation’ survey reveal that there is already intensive use of digital technologies on farms to reduce fertiliser use, optimise water use, and improve soil health. Although farmers are willing to continue to invest in digital tools, they face a number of barriers to doing so, mainly related to the cost and availability of devices and lack of connectivity.
In the view of farmers, greater government support is needed to promote the digitisation of farms and overcome these barriers. Support is not limited to increasing access to the internet, but also involves providing training and capacity development, as well as subsidies and inventions for the adoption of digital solutions.
The survey conducted by Savanta ComRes and commissioned by Vodafone Group interviewed farmers from 13 countries in Europe and Africa about their perspectives on digital farming, environmental challenges, and current geopolitical and socio-economic pressures.
