Internet’s Environmental Footprint: towards sustainability | IGF 2023 WS #21

Gabriel Karsan

The analysis features several speakers discussing a range of topics related to climate change and sustainable development. One key point raised is the importance of recognising that we inhabit a common world with shared resources. The speakers stress the interconnected nature of humanity, emphasising that we all breathe the same air and live under the same sun.

Another topic covered in the analysis is the need for eco-friendly solutions within the internet industry. It mentions proposals such as using satellites and high altitude connectivity devices to make the internet more sustainable. The integration of technology with climate action strategies in India is cited as an example of potential solutions.

The analysis also addresses the issue of poor quality data leading to misinformation on the climate agenda. It suggests that the dissemination of inaccurate information can hinder effective progress in tackling climate change.

One of the speakers advocates for a multistakeholder approach to bridge the gap between grassroots movements and government. This inclusive approach is seen as crucial in ensuring effective and inclusive decision-making processes.

The analysis also explores the issue of addiction to hydrocarbons, acknowledging their extensive use in heating, transportation and electricity production. The shared challenge of dependence on hydrocarbons is highlighted as an issue that needs to be addressed.

In terms of creating change, one speaker believes in the power of group discussions. The importance of small groups in making a significant impact is emphasised, indicating the significance of collective efforts in addressing climate change.

Furthermore, the analysis underlines the interconnectedness of the world through the internet. It emphasises the need for boldness, vocal advocacy and accountability in promoting sustainable development. The need for eco-friendly hardware design and sustainable practices on the internet is also advocated for.

In conclusion, the comprehensive analysis underscores the importance of recognising our shared world and limited resources. It stresses the necessity of eco-friendly solutions and accurate data in addressing climate change. The analysis supports a multistakeholder approach, highlights the challenge of hydrocarbon addiction, and advocates for the power of group discussions in effecting change. It also underscores the role of the internet in fostering interconnectedness and calls for boldness, accountability and eco-friendly practices in driving sustainable development.

Ihita Gangavarapu

Ihita Gangavarapu, a coordinator of Youth Asia in India and a board member of ITU Generation Connect, possesses extensive experience in the field of technology, with a specific focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities. Her expertise in this area makes her well-equipped to address the issue of environmental sustainability.

Gangavarapu strongly emphasizes the importance of IoT in monitoring various environmental parameters. In particular, she advocates for the use of IoT sensors in homes to monitor carbon footprint. This technology has the potential to make individuals more aware of their environmental impact and take steps towards reducing it. Furthermore, Gangavarapu highlights the use of IoT in agriculture and forest health monitoring. By employing IoT-enabled devices, it becomes possible to gather real-time data on these crucial aspects of our environment. Additionally, the IoT has the potential to predict forest fires and aid in urban planning, further contributing to environmental conservation efforts.

A key argument put forth by Gangavarapu is that consultations, cost incentives, and standardization are necessary to bridge the gap when government initiatives fall short in promoting environmental sustainability. She suggests that involved parties need to engage in meaningful discussions to ideate potential solutions. Furthermore, Gangavarapu believes that government incentives can motivate the private sector to develop environmentally conscious services and technologies. Additionally, she highlights the importance of standardization, particularly in developing IT standards for the environment. These measures are crucial in ensuring that environmental sustainability is prioritized and achieved in the absence of sufficient government initiatives.

Gangavarapu also stresses the role of individuals in reducing their negative environmental impact. By taking responsibility for their actions and making conscious choices, individuals can contribute significantly to environmental conservation. This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, which emphasizes individual responsibility in achieving sustainability.

Moreover, Gangavarapu recognises the significance of environmentally-conscious design in artificial intelligence (AI). She highlights the integration of AI into everyday life and the need to incorporate an environmentally conscious dimension into its development. This aligns with SDG Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG Goal 13: Climate Action.

Another point raised by Gangavarapu is the importance of crafting and implementing policies right from the inception of a technology. She argues that a well-crafted policy can create awareness among all stakeholders in the technology supply chain regarding potential environmental repercussions. By starting policy development early in the tech development process, the carbon footprint consciousness of the entire chain can be influenced positively. This supports SDG Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Gangavarapu also highlights the importance of leveraging the internet to discuss environmental concerns and solutions. Utilizing the internet as a platform for communication allows for a wider reach and the opportunity to engage a larger audience in these discussions. This aligns with SDG Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Lastly, Gangavarapu advocates for supporting organizations and initiatives that focus on creating environmentally conscious products and services. By endorsing and investing in these initiatives, individuals and communities can contribute towards promoting sustainability.

In conclusion, Ihita Gangavarapu, with her expertise in IoT and smart cities, emphasises the importance of monitoring environmental parameters using IoT technology. She further advocates for consultations, cost incentives, and standardization to fill gaps in government initiatives towards environmental sustainability. Gangavarapu highlights individual responsibility, environmentally-conscious design in AI, crafting policies from the inception of technology, leveraging the internet for discussion, and supporting initiatives for environmentally conscious products and services. Through her various arguments and points, Gangavarapu underscores the need for collective efforts and conscious choices in achieving a more sustainable future.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe

The session primarily focuses on the issue of the internet’s carbon footprint and the need to explore sustainable alternatives. It is highlighted that internet carbon footprints currently account for 3.7% of global emissions, and this figure is expected to rise in the future.

Lily actively advocates for internet usage that is inherently sustainable, emphasizing the importance of considering the environmental impact of our online activities.

In terms of recycling, there is a discussion on the need for education and awareness in recycling processes. It is mentioned that e-waste recycling in Abu Ghoshi, Ghana, has resulted in harmful environmental impacts. However, the government of Ghana, in collaboration with GIZ, is taking steps to create awareness about sustainable recycling methods.

Furthermore, there is support for alternative methods of connectivity through equipment refurbishing. Refurbished e-waste can be redistributed to underserved communities, providing them with access to the internet. This approach has already been implemented in several cities in the United States through inclusion strategies focusing on refurbishing, reuse, and redistribution of e-waste.

The importance of resources and skills for implementing the three Rs (refurbishing, redistribution, and reuse) is also emphasized. It requires the gathering of in-use equipment, housing them, and preparing them for redistribution.

The session also acknowledges that technology, while contributing to environmental issues, can also play a crucial role in solving them. However, discussions on the economic benefits of technology often overlook its environmental impact. It is argued that a more balanced approach that considers sustainability beyond profit is needed.

Bottom-up approaches are highlighted as essential for sustainability solutions. Government-led solutions often fail to account for the importance of grassroots movements and the involvement of local communities.

When discussing artificial intelligence (AI), it is observed that the lack of policies guiding its implementation can lead to disadvantages to society. The fast-paced implementation of AI technologies contrasts with the lengthy and bureaucratic process of building policies. However, creating global policies adaptable to local contexts could ensure the right usage of AI for climate change initiatives, thus guiding its beneficial deployment.

There is agreement that awareness creation plays a fundamental role in addressing AI issues. Social media platforms are identified as a powerful tool for continuous and consistent awareness creation, facilitating the understanding of the issues at hand and generating demand for action.

Knowledge sharing is also emphasized as a significant way for individuals to actively address AI issues. By creating awareness and encouraging people to take action, individuals can contribute to spreading information about AI and its impact.

Technology is recognized as a double-edged sword in addressing climate change concerns. While it can contribute to environmental issues, it can also offer solutions to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Moreover, the act of connecting the unconnected is seen as inherently sustainable. By extending access to the internet and digital resources to underserved communities, it contributes to bridging the digital divide and promoting sustainable development.

Lastly, it is concluded that the conversation surrounding these topics must involve the participation of government, authorities, and people. Increasing awareness of the challenges and potential solutions is seen as a crucial step towards achieving sustainability goals.

Monojit Das

During the analysis, the speakers delved into several key aspects of internet governance and its impact on various topics. They explored its relevance to the 4th industrial revolution, sustainability, energy consumption, and environmental impact. One of the main discussions focused on the need for convergence and cooperation between different stakeholders.

Monojit Das, for instance, is researching internet-related issues, specifically examining the convergence between the multi-stakeholder and multilateral approaches. He believes that finding a convergence point is crucial for resolving debates in internet governance. Das emphasized the importance of participation from both online and offline participants in finding effective solutions.

The speakers acknowledged the complexity of the debate between the multi-stakeholder and multilateral approaches in environmental issues. They noted the inherent differences in positions held by multiple stakeholders and nations in environmental policy. Despite this complexity, they agreed that small collective actions can have significant long-term outcomes.

The analysis also focused on the significant energy consumption associated with internet use. Simple online activities, such as sending text messages, consume data and energy. Data centres, essential for internet infrastructure, consume substantial amounts of power. The speakers highlighted the need for energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable energy sources to power technology.

Furthermore, the speakers recognized that the internet plays a critical role in the 4th industrial revolution. They stressed the interconnections between energy, transportation, and communication technologies. By harnessing the potential of the internet, advancements in these areas can be achieved.

The impact of internet infrastructure on the environment was another concern highlighted during the analysis. The laying of submarine cables needs to consider and avoid disrupting underwater habitats, such as coral reefs and marine life.

Regarding individual action, the analysis suggested that efforts to reduce environmental impact can begin with individuals. The panel included individuals from various professional backgrounds dedicating time to environmental issues, and personal compliance with carbon-neutral policies can raise awareness.

The discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) research revealed differing perspectives. While the importance of understanding the full potential and threats of AI was recognized, there were debates as to whether research should continue. Some argued for pushing AI to its limits to test its capabilities, while others raised concerns about its potential dangers.

The analysis noted the success and positive reception of the session, indicating promise for future discussions on digital leadership and internet ecology. One notable observation was the optimism expressed by the speakers about the growth and expansion of the platform for discussion in future sessions.

In conclusion, the analysis highlighted the multifaceted nature of internet governance and its impact on various aspects of society. From the convergence of different approaches to the significance of collective actions and energy consumption, the speakers presented a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities within the realm of internet governance. The importance of research on AI, individual actions, and sustainable practices were also emphasized. Ultimately, the analysis revealed a mixture of optimism and realism regarding the potential for positive change and future growth in discussions on internet ecology.

Audience

The need for eco-friendly internet infrastructure and measuring its carbon footprint is of utmost importance. DotAsia and APNIC Foundation have been exploring this since 2020, with the aim of gauging the eco-friendliness of internet infrastructure across countries through the EcoInternet Index. This index aims to provide a measurement tool to assess the environmental impact of internet infrastructure. The argument put forth is that narrative and measuring methods for the eco-friendliness of internet infrastructure are crucial.

The internet not only has its own carbon footprint but can also contribute positively towards addressing climate change. The EcoInternet Index takes into account the balance between the digital economy and traditional carbon-intensive industries, highlighting the potential for the internet to play a significant role in the fight against climate change.

Improving internet network efficiency is seen as a positive step towards sustainability. However, no specific supporting facts are provided for this argument.

A grassroots movement can enhance awareness and foster a move towards a more carbon-conscious internet use. This includes a call for data centres to use renewable energy sources, which is seen as a positive step towards responsible consumption and production.

Digital inclusion in remote areas can be more sustainable by utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar energy. By incorporating sustainable energy solutions, digital access can be expanded while reducing the environmental impact.

Standardization is identified as playing a crucial role in shaping an inclusive policy for a sustainable and eco-friendly internet. It helps establish consistent frameworks for measuring the carbon footprint and provides a means to quantify reports on methodologies and data collections. This standardization is seen as vital in mitigating the risks associated with the internet and promoting a sustainable approach.

Collaboration between stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, technical community, and government, is recognized as key in shaping a sustainable internet. Each stakeholder has a unique role to play, contributing insights, creating awareness, providing technology, and formulating policies.

Sustainable cyberspace efforts and the work of Dr. Monagir and Ahita are commended by the audience. However, no specific details or supporting facts are provided to further elaborate on this point.

The narrative and measurement of environmental issues are considered important, but no specific supporting facts or arguments are provided.

Sustainable housing and reducing the carbon footprint in infrastructure are seen as viable solutions. AMPD Energy in Hong Kong is mentioned as an example of using special materials and technology to reduce the carbon footprint in housing and warehouses.

Reducing paper waste and promoting recycling is highlighted as a viable environmental strategy. The Wong Pao Foundation in Hong Kong is noted for producing results within a year.

One of the challenges in implementing sustainability initiatives is the lack of financial support. It is mentioned that financial support is often difficult to obtain when trying to implement sustainability measures, which can hinder progress.

Hong Kong’s progress towards achieving the SDGs is deemed slow. Currently, the main recycling effort in Hong Kong focuses on recycling bottles, cans, and paper. No specific details or arguments are provided for this observation.

Further research is needed to understand the impact of AI on climate change. Although no specific supporting facts or arguments are given, the stance is that thorough research is necessary before further developing AI technology.

Digital literacy is considered important for global digital inclusion efforts. Despite good internet access in Hong Kong, digital literacy is not very high. It is mentioned that considerations should be made on how to contribute to other regions of the world facing different digital situations.

In conclusion, there is a growing awareness of the need for eco-friendly internet infrastructure and measuring its carbon footprint. Collaboration between stakeholders, digital inclusion using renewable energy, standardization, and efforts to reduce paper waste are advocated for sustainability. However, challenges in implementation due to a lack of financial support and the slow progress of Hong Kong towards the SDGs are noted. The impact of AI on climate change and the importance of digital literacy for global digital inclusion are areas that require further research and consideration.

Annett Onchana

The Africa Climate Summit, held in Kenya, placed significant emphasis on the importance of accessing and transferring environmentally sound technologies to support Africa’s green industrialisation and transition. This highlights the crucial need for the continent to adopt sustainable practices and technologies in order to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The summit also highlighted the necessity for cooperation among different stakeholders in addressing the digital footprint. As our reliance on digital technologies continues to grow, the environmental impact of the internet cannot be overlooked. Thus, it is crucial for governments, businesses, and individuals to work collaboratively and find ways to reduce the carbon footprint associated with digital activities.

Furthermore, the summit discussed the influence of consumer habits on the environmental impact of the internet. It raised the question of whether people’s purchasing decisions are driven by trends or functionality. By examining consumer behaviour, efforts can be made to promote sustainable consumption and production. This means individuals can make choices that have a lower environmental impact, such as opting for more energy-efficient products or those with longer lifespans.

It is important to note that consumer behaviour can play a significant role in mitigating the environmental impact of the internet. If people shift their purchasing habits towards more sustainable options, it can contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions and waste associated with the production and disposal of electronic devices.

Overall, the Africa Climate Summit underscored the importance of addressing the environmental impact of the internet, promoting sustainable technologies in Africa’s industrialisation efforts, and encouraging individuals to make more conscious choices in their consumption habits. By working together and adopting sustainable practices, positive change can be driven, and the adverse effects of climate change can be mitigated.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
and thank you for being such a patient audience. We know you’re online and I hear that we have quite an audience. If you know anybody who would benefit from this session, kindly nudge them, ping them, just say the session has started so they can join in. My name is Liliye Denamboche, and in a short while, I’ll be introducing everybody here and there’s some people who also give interventions online. We are so thankful for the gift of the internet that allows us to do all of these, and so we want you to stay interactive. If you have any questions, please put them in the chat. We’ll come back to them as soon as possible. This session is the IGF Workshop 21, and it’s titled The Internet Environmental Footprint Towards Sustainability. Our panel is a blend of experts or young leaders who essentially have backgrounds in different areas related to green tech, and also just around e-waste and other areas that will be discussed in a short while. So I’ll do a bit of what we look to do for the aim of this, and then have our panel members do introduction. So we’re looking to use a hybrid format, that is what we have right now, you online, we on-site, to get you our conversation. What you’re looking to do is to see how the internet’s carbon footprints, or do we know that the internet’s carbon footprints account for 3.7% of the global emissions, comparable to that, and this figure is expected to rise. So some of the things we’re discussing here is, what are alternatives? You’re looking in the broad sense of climate, connecting and unconnected in a way that is inherently sustainable. So that is the discussion we’re having. So, let’s start a conversation. I’m gonna start with our panel members on-site, and then I’ll allow you online to also introduce yourself. So to my left, can you please give us a short introduction?

Monojit Das:
Hi, thank you, Lily, for giving us the brief outline. My name is Manojit, I am from India. I worked on internet. And my PhD topic was finding out the convergence in this call that probably can be other ways to find out solution to the debate between the multi-stakeholder and the multilateralism. So probably this can be one of the ways. And we would like to get more input from the participants online and offline because it’s mostly about the participation, not just the one-sided way of telling this. Thank you.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you so much. Like you said, we want the interaction across board. And then to my right, our first panel member.

Ihita Gangavarapu:
Hi, everyone. Good evening. I’m Ida, I’m from India. I’m coordinator of Youth Asia of India and also a board member of ITU Generation Connect. It’s an absolute pleasure to be here. Thank you, Lily. And I have a background in tech. I have experience working with Internet of Things across multiple applications and smart cities. And in this regard, I’ve come across this particular persistent to this issue of environment footprint. And I’m really glad to have the opportunity to share some insights shortly.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you so much, and then to Carson. Hello, my name is Carson Gabriel. I’m from Tanzania, computer scientist, and I have a background in internet governance for almost six years now. I am part of the African Youth IGF, and particularly we are here to explore the role of the multi-stakeholder approach, something that we have been all raised on and how we use this element to create sustainability, especially towards a more progressive humanity that uses energy not only in terms of consumption, but also creating more diverse bridges for the next generation to enjoy. And we also have our online participants. What I forgot to add before was that we have Carson, who will co-moderate, and also with me. For our online panel members, if you are on, that is Innocent and also Jowdy, let’s start with you, Innocent, and Annette too, yes. So Innocent, the floor is yours, a short introduction, we go to Jowdy, and then to Annette. Yes, so Annette, if you can hear us, please.

Annett Onchana:
Thank you for the platform, good evening, good morning, actually a few minutes to afternoon from Kenya, and I am an African youth, passionate and interested in internet governance, and I am happy to contribute to these discussions, and I’ll also be your rapporteur for the session. You’re welcome, and thank you for having us.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you so much, Annette, so excited to have you. So in a short while, the conversation is going to shift to Carson, who is going to walk us through some guiding questions, but we’re going to take turns to have climate sustainability relates to us and the work we do, and because of we’re having to leave unfortunately, I’ll give a bit of context and then hand over to Carson to have the conversation kick-started. So initially, I mentioned my name is Lily, I live and I was born in Ghana, and currently doing a PhD in IT at the University of Cincinnati. Now I’ll give you the context of how sustainability pretty much aligns with the work I do and my experience with it. First as a Ghanaian, I live in Ghana, and one of the places that has been tagged as the world’s largest dump site, a place that is found in Accra, and one of the things that we saw growing up was how people would carry scraps or break apart e-waste to be able to find valuable metals, go out there and sell to people in the hopes of making money. people saw as trash, for people in Abu Ghoshi, it was treasure and the way that these materials were broken apart and the way that they were recycled to be able to get this precious materials in there was not done in a way that was environmentally friendly. These are people who only knew that they had to break apart some of these because they had to make a livelihood and they had to sell. So the issue of … in Ghana and some interventions came from the government of Ghana in collaboration with GIZ, that’s a German corporation of the German government. So what happened was a time of pretty much creating awareness of how some of the activities that probably if it was not done, recycling was not done in a good way, would harm the environment. It took, or it still takes a lot of, I mean, education and awareness creation for people who … recycling as a livelihood to see reason as to why the change in the world is pretty much sustainable. But that is just something that is currently ongoing and essentially it will take maybe some time to get people to understand the why. And when we are talking about connecting people, we want to see even how we can explore refurbishing some of these e-waste for communities that are underserved. And that is also pretty much an issue that we see in Accra and across Ghana. There are places that don’t have access, one of the biggest hindrance is access to devices. So if … a home, whether it could be refurbished and redistributed, who knows, they wouldn’t end up in dump sites to be recycled in such a way that it’s in the long run affect or negatively impacts the environment. So some of the things that I’m seeing from research and because I’m doing the research, I did my master’s thesis in US, was essentially how across the US, there are cities that have implemented inclusion strategies. some things related to EU management and I will also switch from the context of Ghana to the US. So, the best practice in some of the cities could implement, it’s actually city level, is that the inclusion strategies that look at refurbishing, redistribution and reuse. All these three R’s are in such a way that it’s contributing to making sure that all of the things that are probably dark that’s in use do not end up in the dump sites and probably would find a home with people who probably would use it also for their work or just to learn for students who need access to devices. In essence, these R’s can only come to fruition if there are resources for gathering these in use, housing them, if there were skilled aspects to prepare them and if there was a way, a program or something to be able to redistribute them. So, in essence, my perspective is from the US angle where I look at alternative to connectivity through US refurbishing and it’s because of the background I have with the story I just shared about the case of Abu Belushi and what it says that I found out the cities are implemented by US EU strategies and there are inclusion strategies in the US and some of these cities, they are tagged the trailblazer cities and they are usually, they have reports that sends out what it is that they’re doing that people can also implement for their own context and it’s something that others can replicate and customize for their own situation. So, I know probably there are questions or comments that can come from this submission. I’ll drop it here and then hand over the floor to Carson who will give us some more nudges and guiding questions to drive the conversation towards the end of this session. Thank you.

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you very much, Lily and that was quite interesting what you shared, the local context and concept. Canada does. Well, let me start with what is the solution to a problem if the solution is the problem? Because when I think climate change now and the internet and everything, that is where I lie. That was the context when we were discussing about this session. It is a high quality question that we really need to discuss and I believe here, all of us have a lot to discuss. There is the climate change agenda and there is the climate reality. Now, when we live in the fourth industrial revolution, when we have an intersection of energy, transportation and communication technologies, highly embedded with the internet, I believe that the internet could do more rather than contributing to the 3.6% of emissions that are happening. So I would like to start with you, Dr. Monojit. If you’d like to share your context to our obligation today, what do you think the people want to hear and what is the agenda behind in trying to create an internet that’s sustainable and serves its purpose to the people? Okay, thank you.

Monojit Das:
Thank you, Gabriel. My understanding, I’d like to share about my understanding because I may not be the whole and soul of the internet or what exactly, but I’d like to share what my understanding is. There may be different stakeholders out here, whether it’s the government, academia, you know, the civil society. But if you try to dig into a little bit, you know, if you see government, government is actually dependent on the civil society for votes. And the civil society is dependent upon the technical companies, the big giants for funding because they don’t have their own. And if you go to academia, you still need a subsidized funding from the government. So everyone is, you know, some of the other interrelated with each other, we cannot deny that. So whenever we are going to civil society events or so that talks about free speech or anything, it is somewhat the other, the company has their own agenda behind it and whether you accept or not. So, and if you see. if the countries also have the trying to develop their own internet in terms of you can say firewalls or anything as such this is just trying to frame a security layer of their own so that you know internet the whole concept I believe was introduced when it was as a preventive measure under the DARPA or the that was a military thing all together it all about so so everyone has their own interest and I believe that it will continue it’s an unending but probably there can be some sort of convergence on the topics that can be worked upon together without without any differences and that is although what we all come together that we have all so and because here you don’t have any differences every stakeholder will agree because in the morning when you say good morning it’s not just the good morning text that is taking on kb of your data but at the same time it is coming going through a lot of subsolutely because we are not having dedicated satellite for us so we are using those data centers to say you know power you or save your images it takes a lot of energy so this energy is not coming from you know most of the cases although Microsoft and other are trying to you know put it under water but it’s not all 100 you know so what we have tried to find out is that there can be probably some areas where we all can collaborate in this between this debate of multi-stakeholder and multilateralism is to come up and promote energy efficiency and that when we talk about it can be largely on the devices as my co-panelist also mentioned about the e-waste you know utilizing e-waste has been because she has experienced in a very better way and the transition to powering the technology requires a lot of energy So instead if you can handle the solar power, using solar panels or any such that all the scientist experts are there. And in terms of when I say the regulatory measures and there can are, there are regulatory measures that have a moderation in terms of using of the contains what it could be. But in terms of using of the resources, there can be uniformity, everybody can agree on this point. And particularly when submarine cable is attacked, data, we have to be dependent on someone or the other because we as an individual, there’s always debate between security and privacy that initially I was a student and still I’m a student of security studies, so I understand the perspective of security much better. Either there is a debate we have to do about security or for privacy, because we cannot ask for privacy when we don’t have our own utility. For using the social media we’re still dependent on the social media to convey our message. So here what we can do is that, that’s this submarine cables when they’re laid, it should be laid. Now more and more cables are being laid on, at least we can focus that this do not disrupt the coral reefs or particularly doesn’t pass through the sensitive areas where the rich sources of marine animals are there. So this can be a little bit of areas where we can all collaborate. And the rest of the debate can continue and I’m sure many of us, we all know that everything within the debate between the multistakeholder has to, it’s an unending process. And with this, I’d like to say thank you to the moderator and please continue.

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you very much, Dr. Monojit. And I believe we live in one world, one sun, the same air we breathe together. So this is something that it is for us. It is people centered. It is a people problem. And there’s so many solutions we’ve heard, like using satellites and high altitude connectivity devices to help mitigate the risks of climate change and climate agenda as brought by internet connectivity. So if we pivot to solutions, let me go here, come in from India, a place where you actually feel climate change, but it’s also quite technologically progressive. That might contribute in creating an eco-friendly and green sustainable internet.

Ihita Gangavarapu:
Thank you so much. And I think great points by all of my panelists here today. Excuse my wife’s sore throat. So, when we are looking at technology and connecting it to environment, you tend to think about how it’s affecting environment. But one major component, or maybe I would say one different lens would be how do we leverage technology to let’s say monitor various environmental parameters, monitor and track them, and also add intelligence to it so that when we conduct research, come up with standards and regulations, all data back. So in that, my personal experience working with Internet of Things, IoT technology, back in India, working in smart cities. We were looking at, you know, IoT enabled smart cities in India, where we were looking at multiple verticals for multiple use cases around air pollution monitoring, energy monitoring, water quality monitoring. And it is not just from a city perspective, even at a small room, how can we monitor the CO2 levels? And even in the kitchen of the households, we have placed IoT sensors and we were able to find out the kind of food that was the carbon footprint of that particular, let’s say type of bread that is being prepared in the kitchen. So I feel like the issue gets worse of, you know, the… issue of carbon footprint, you know, it’s becoming worse. If we don’t have accurate measures of determining the emissions derived from certain processes, products, services, and technologies. I think that is where I want to bring in IoT. So when you talk about Internet of Things, it’s all of these technologies. It’s Internet of all dumb things. That’s how I would explain. You have your smart refrigerators, you have baby monitors. All of these items are connected to the internet. And they have sensors that monitor various parameters. You have a lot of data from all of these IoT devices. One really interesting use case would be having IoT in an agricultural domain to monitor, let’s say, the soil moisture. And you can have IoT for monitoring the health of a forest also. You can also predict when a forest fire is likely to happen, right? So all of these are really important applications of IoT that help you have data-backed results and actions. When you look at smart cities, IoT enables smart cities particularly. They also help you with global planning, smart waste management, and traffic management, right? So these are not necessarily seen relevant in a local context, but in a global context have a lot of impact on the carbon footprint. And another important aspect I want to highlight upon is the importance of environmental compliance, right? Every country, every region might have their own set of issues or factors contributing to the footprint. But compliance or having global standards is really important. Back in India, I’ve seen people talk about, or let’s say, NGOs or even big organizations talk about is a factor, and that is why they don’t, let’s say, follow environment-friendly services or products. So, having global standards around this will help you streamlining certain processes so the cost itself does not, no longer stands as a barrier. I think that’s the thought process that I wanted to share with all of you, and I’ll hand it over to Karsan now.

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you very much Ihita, and you mentioned a very key element of having evidence fact based mechanisms, and I got something that you said. We have to develop a graphic. How can we measure traffic of the internet because that can be a source that can help us guide the study and the research that’s needed, because now there’s so much centralization when it comes to technology and climate change, and I believe the only solution is having grassroots voices, because in the end, people processes and platforms are the things when they’re connected, help in mitigating these issues and I’m really happy to see you all the multi stakeholder approach with all your voices here, the climate debate can be sorted when we all speak so I would like to welcome you, our dear audiences to share your remarks, share your questions, and most importantly just share your voice to the next generation to be accountable, so that it can be an internet, 100 years from now, one earth, one internet that’s protected so please the audience. You’re open to your remarks. Maybe Mr. might have something to add right let me give you the. Thank you for call.

Audience:
Hello. Thank you. I think it’s a great conversation and conversation that, especially as a speaker mentioned, it is a conversation that can make. a difference from younger participants and from the youth. One of the things that I guess I will just add to this, I think how we, what the narrative is and how we think about measuring the eco-friendliness of the internet infrastructure is something that is very important. And actually for DotAsia, we have been working on this since 2020 with APNIC Foundation. And actually the ecointernet.asia report, or you can check it online, ecointernet.asia. And what we did is exactly as was discussed is the concept that it’s the internet, not only, of course the internet has its own carbon footprint and has its own impact on climate change. But what about the positive impact? How do we think about that? And that’s sort of what the EcoInternet Index was trying to do. And this is the first year we are releasing kind of a ranking between different countries, how eco-friendly the internet infrastructure is. We look at three axes, one is on economy and we look at the balance, or I guess the replacement of digital economy versus the old more carbon heavy economy. And then the energy access, really the energy source that powers the internet. And then the third area, which you touched on just a little bit as well, is the network efficiency. The network itself can also be more efficient. So beyond the ranking, one of the things that are more relevant to this conversation we are having is also what are the things that can be done. Users as young people, maybe the policy intervention are going to be important. but I think a grassroots movement to actually make this awareness that we can be more carbon conscious users of the internet and call for data centers to be using more renewable energy. Also, one key kind of finding in the report that we found really interesting is that digital inclusion data at IGF actually comes hand in hand with sustainability. Because the most remote places, it’s better to use solar energy, it’s better to use off-grid energy and build that capacity rather than try to build the more carbon heavy way into the remote areas. So, in fact, these are things that can, I guess, jumpstart people’s awareness and consciousness that how the network itself and the infrastructure actually can also help. And the balance between them is kind of what we want to achieve and being conscious about it is very important.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you very much. Thanks. So, the submission was spot on and got me to remember something that came from the 2019 session on environment. And it was how somebody had mentioned that there was, like you shared, that outlook or people’s interest to see how we can use technology, in essence, to solve climate issues. And the longer we have the issue of technology contributing to what it is that we’re trying to solve, right? And that’s always a dilemma. How do we balance all of that? But that conversation had steered from the angle that there has been for the longest time, a focus on the economic angle of technology, like how technology can foster development, how you can bring profit. And there was that part of there was little to no contribution for sustainability and how we can essentially, there’s another angle that was mentioned, there were three of them, but it got us to see that there is a need for people, or I mean everybody involved to reconsider what it says that we focus on for like technology beyond to see how it can also impact, I mean the world we live in, right? So beyond profit, what else? So that’s continuous focus on economic angle for the longest of time didn’t help, and so the impact part is something that’s, the impact both positive and negative is a part where people would want to consider looking at again, and also consider seeing how you can use or leverage technology for building sustainability. While I say this, there’s been a question that has come in the chat, and I’ll read it, because I’m co-moderating with Karsan to be able to start a conversation towards this line. So somebody that’s from Ghana has said that some of these solutions articulated in the past that have been spearheaded by government are quite historic, and doesn’t take into an account a bottom-up approach. How do we bridge the gap then? There’s a question for us. So.

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you, thank you Kaiga. First of all, just to add on that, I believe we are caught in the misinformation of what the climate agenda is, and this is due to poor quality data that most of our governments have, not fact-checked. And I’d like to thank everyone who just provided a lot of solutions which are grassroots. So with that grassroots and governmental conversation, I think which can be brought by the multistakeholder approach it could be a mechanism to build on that. But I would also like to call on Dr. Munojit, because you have some experience working with government and academia. What are your points on this?

Monojit Das:
Thank you. Particularly in this point, like, you know. it has to start from somewhere. So probably that somewhere can be us, and that is also the reason you see that all the individuals in this panel, you see, we are also associated with many things like when it comes to security, and she has spoken on artificial intelligence, she’s from security privacy, but we feel that this is something the environment, there should be, you know, as a contribution to the society and the government that where we are living in, we can try to bring out a little bit from our time to take in the efforts to not just the networking we are doing outside this, but also actually on ground to find out that where can be the synergies to collaborate and find out why the dilemma that exists between the actual implementation on ground and on paper. So here, you know, with that, why the debate between the multi-stakeholder and the multilateral, it exists, if you relate that it will continue to exist still long, I don’t know if you like it or not, but it’s actually here to stay because there are differences, you know, and which is not going to be very easy to solve, but on this particular lines, as we discussed that we’re finding out how much internet was in a communication was sent between that we can be started from basically friend A to friend B, whether my home is net, you know, compliance is having the compliance of environmental friendly or not. So in this way, you know, where it is sent in a way that his or her house or the gender they follow, so that having the same, you know, carbon neutral policy or not, this can be some sort of a step really, some ideas and it can be then implemented because internet also, the world we are connecting today did not have many telecom companies, all started in a small lab, probably little bigger than this, with different computers. So now it has become distinct in the sometime other places we are connecting. So this is the start and we can do the change.

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you very much. I’d like to go to Annette. Much has been spoken about policy and the role of policy mitigating our crisis here. Annette, if you’d like to share because Kenya is a country that is quite a pioneer in terms of secular economy and this is built on the traditions there. Just a fun fact, it comes from the Maasai culture. The Maasai culture is a form of people and traditions who are quite incredible in their ingenuity and the use of indigenous processes to cultivate secular economy based on their mechanisms. I believe there is where we can get the solution. Annette, you have five minutes to share your points if you can hear me.

Annett Onchana:
Thank you. I would really like to maybe shift the discussion a little bit and also give an example of Kenya. First and foremost, last month, September, we had the Africa Climate Summit happening in Kenya. One of the call to action items was, and I quote, a call to access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, including technologies that consist of processes and innovation methods to support Africa’s green industrialization and transition. That was just a step in the right direction. Tackling the internet’s environmental footprint is key in driving the key agenda. This is therefore a call to collaboration and cooperation of all different stakeholders in tackling the digital footprint. Also, it’s often said that we are creatures of habit. We also should question what we can do at individual levels to tackle our own internet’s environmental footprint. For example, buying new gadgets. Are we creatures of trend? or do we focus on functionality? And those are just some of the mitigation efforts that we can use to reduce the internal environmental impact. Thank you.

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you very much. You talked about inclusivity and that is key. Well, since I like putting people on the spot, Ernest, Ernest, you’re quite potent in the field of standardization. So what can standardization aid in terms of mitigating the risk of the internet that’s sustainable? Please, Ernest.

Audience:
Thank you very much, Karsan. You got me off guard on there. All right. So I like what Ihita said about the carbon footprint measuring the carbon footprint. I think that’s what I’m going to focus. So I believe this is one of the very important aspects that standards can play in measuring the providing a consistent framework to establishing and quantifying reports on methodologies and data collections on how we can measure the carbon footprint and other issues. So I believe that by following these standards and manage their carbon emission areas of improvements and have informed decision. For example, we have various standards that talk about the environment ability. I’m sure most of you know about ITU. You can just go to ITUT standard on environment ability. We have standards that talk about issues to deal with climate change and also on how we are mitigating the issues of data and how we’re spending. the data on the internet, and also just our internet footprint and how we are using the internet and everything. So I believe standards plays a role in shaping an inclusive policy on how best we can shape our environment to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. And the other thing that I would also like to suggest is that collaboration in everything is key. We have a private sector, we have a civil society, we have the technical community, and we have a government, so it’s best that we collaborate together to shape one ideology and one agenda to ensure that the internet becomes more sustainable, because we can talk about environmental-friendly, but we have the experts from the technical community who can provide us insights on the best ways on how we can do it. We’ve got civil society who can provide the awareness aspect and also reaching out to many numbers, masses, and also we’ve got the private sector who have good data and also the technology at the end of the day, and we’ve got government who can provide policies and also, like they have the final say, they have the plumbers. Some of us, we are pipes, but we have the plumbers. Thank you very much.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you so much. So we’re gonna come back online for anybody who has a question or a contribution, but because we want to hear your recommendations also, we’ll pass a microphone around in a bit. Before we do that, we’re going to ask Ihita to also respond to the question around how to bridge the gap, especially when government initiatives aren’t doing what they have to do and how do we bridge the gap, as was asked by Keja online.

Ihita Gangavarapu:
Actually, that’s a really important question for us to think about. I’m not sure if we have a definite answer that will just go into action right away, but it’s something that we should all think about and discuss. The first thing that comes to my mind, looking at all of you in the room, this is called consultations, right? Looking at different stakeholders coming together. and discussing on work. Every small or big effort will definitely have a good or a bad impact. So we’re looking at a good impact in terms of reducing the footprint, making sure that environment is sustainable, it’s healthy. But what is a realistic start for us? I think that’s something we have to all ideate on in consultations that, let’s say, a government facilitates in their country, making sure the private sector comes together, civil society come together. Those developing technologies from a design point of view itself are incorporating in their supply chain, in their products, in various processes. So I think consultations is one. The second point, I think, is in terms of cost. Like I mentioned in a previous message, cost is a factor or is considered as a barrier for people to develop environmentally conscious services and technologies. So incentive from the governments to the private sector or those who are making an effort to reduce the footprint, I think that’s another point I’d like to highlight. And we also have a role to play. We have to be conscious ourselves as to what our daily activities, how are they contributing to the global environment, what is the type of effect that it’s creating? Is it a bad effect? How are we propagating this? So, and I really like that Ernest mentioned standards. He took an example of IT standards for environment. And I think standardization is a third aspect because a lot of standards, not just at a multilateral level, also multistakeholder organizations standards. So I think that is where an echo of how environmentally sound decisions need to be made in the digital space come together. So yeah, those are my inputs.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you so much for sharing, Ahita, and we’re gonna start hearing from you. Is there anyone who has heard, read, experimented, or probably just learned of a best practice with regards to sustainability in the case of technology that would want to share? If you’d want to, by all means, put up your hand and I’ll reach you with a microphone. So we want to, as much as possible, also learn from you. And if there was anything that has, please let us know, and we can add it to the recommendations that we have. So any idea whatsoever, you can put up your hand and I’ll give you the microphone. Right, do you have a question? You have a question for the panel, maybe? No, right. Anybody wants to contribute to this conversation so far? So, oh, the professor, right. You’d want to add to it?

Audience:
Yeah, sure. Though I’m speaking a little late, but I really appreciate having interacting with you, and I really appreciate the perception and the efforts which you’re putting for the sustainable cyberspace. So I think it’s up to you and really Dr. Monagir and Ahita, all are working really hard for this thing. So I think asking a question to all of you will be a challenging part for me also, because everything is so fine and filtered. Right, okay.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you. Thanks for coming to support. We appreciate you and the friendship. Anybody want to ask a question about sustainability in terms of technology, green technology, clean technology, clean energy? You can put up your hand and ask, or if you have a submission, a recommendation, you can also put up your hand and I can give you the microphone to share.

Gabriel Karsan:
We have? All right, okay. Hello. We are all addicted to hydrocarbons sadly, and this is something that powers us. In this situation, there are things which work, and things which do not work. So, our session is mostly about listening to all of you. So, I will pass the mic. Tell us, what is that one idea do you think we can work on? Because this is a small group, and this is where change happens. So, please respectfully, just one thing share with us, beginning here.

Audience:
Now, I think we, not a lot of idea to add to it, because we are working on it as well, and we want to listen. But I think the way to, the narrative and the measurement is really important. And if we can come up with a way to really talk about this, I think that would be important. But I would encourage you to, tomorrow morning, there’s going to be a main session on environment, which we will be talking about this. And so, I do encourage you to bring some of this discussion there, and ask those experts there. Actually, I’ll be moderating that session as well, but please bring today’s ideas there. Now, I will pass, help you pass. Okay, everyone speak. So, hi, I’m Jasmine. I’m with Admin, actually, from .Asia Hong Kong. I don’t know what should I say, maybe something I, well, like, there’s some solution that I want to share. It’s actually for more of a sustainable housing solution. So, there’s a one side of Hong Kong called AMPD Energy. So, what they’ve been… They’re using some kind of special materials and also technology to reduce the carbon footprint and also emission when it comes to that kind of transactional housing things and also warehouse boxes. So I forget, because I’m not an expert, so I do not know how to, I forget the term how to name the materials, but I’m just calling it AMPD Energy because I have been before. So this is one of the case that I would love to share, especially housing, you know, as you guys know, it’s quite a serious problem in Hong Kong. So definitely we want to reduce more carbon footprint and also impacts when it comes to housing materials and infrastructure. So that’s just a little thing that I could contribute. I just think about it, so I’ll just pass my mic to younger generation, also from Hong Kong. Yeah, I’m from Hong Kong. All right. So my name is Ethan. So I’m from the Wong Pao Foundation. So this foundation actually aims to reduce paper waste and give folks second lives. So actually we have already some results in one year since it’s actually a pretty new idea, or you can say our company. And I think, and we will have a lightning talk on Wednesday. So if you guys are free to join, we are very welcome you to join. Yep. That’s all. Oh, okay. Hello, thank you for your invitation. I’m Danny, also from Wong Pao, from Hong Kong. And actually we have same group that we’re using scenario, and I think we’ll have a discussion about how to… to build a sustainability environment. I have some point to share what I have encountered in Hong Kong. Because everybody wants to talk about sustainability, talk about protective environment, but when you want to implicate it, you will find that you always need to have a business model. And you always have to raise funds. You always have to have people who will give you money. But if you really want to just raise funds, or the money is coming from the government, it’s always very difficult. So I find that many, many people have the awareness to protect the environment, have some initiative, but to the final round, no money. No business to support. When you go into the business, they always want to make some impact, but the impact is not social impact. It’s about the business impact. So I think it is a gap between the commercial world and the sustainability initiative. And I believe, so that’s why we are here. I believe we have some synergy. We have to develop many, many kind of synergy. The ESG environment is possible. If just one initiative, I think it’s always hard to thrive because no financial support always. So that’s what I kind of want to share with you and hope we can have some synergy or other ESG solutions. Thank you. Oh, hello. We come from the same group. So because Danny has already mentioned about the things that happen in our company, but I want to address some situations that the world… Sometimes people will say maybe Hong Kong is a well-developed cities, but in terms of the SDGs, we have a very slow pace. anything of growth because right now we are just doing things like, okay, recycle the bottles and recycle the can and recycle the paper and that’s it. So what we are coming over is how we make use of the technology and then how to make the sustainable, the path move forward. So that’s why we come here to absolve the technology that or the works have been done over the world so we can bring it back and then give some, provide some solutions to maybe the government or maybe even how can we promote it within Hong Kong to chase it, the steps of how the world is working on. So these are my kind of thoughts that we want to share with you. Thanks. Okay, thank you for giving the mic. I just do research at University of Namibia. I’m a researcher at the University of Namibia. And yeah, I was just sharing a bit earlier at the main session on artificial intelligence. I was hearing said center saying, you must use the most powerful issues, including climate change issues. In my opinion, it’s always interesting to point out that of course, there are some possibilities with AI to address issues like climate change, but we always need to stress that it has an impact. on climate change. And then a question could be shouldn’t we wait and research first on the impact of AI before trying to develop these technologies to address the issues? So that would be a question for you, actually. Question. That’s a good sticker. I’m going to ask. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Terry. And I’m also from Hong Kong, so I skipped a part. From the speech, from talk, I’m always thinking about a question is what can I do? What can me as a youth, as a youth from other side, can do, can contribute to the youth, to the people in the global South, in Africa? Because as we know that we are facing different situation of digital technology, for example, digital inclusion. In Hong Kong, we have the most advanced access and also availability of internet. But our digital literacy actually is not very high. But in Africa, in the global South, it’s another situation. Maybe you are still working on how to get the digital devices. So this is a lesson, or maybe it is a question for me to think about what can I do for youth, or what can I do for the other side of the whole world? Thank you.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
Thank you so much. So we have two questions right now. We have first one on, shouldn’t we be researching more on AI to see how the impact of AI wouldn’t negatively impact the environment before we develop it? it’s more, that’s how do we make sure that AI is serving us and serving us well and not contributing to the issue. One of the things I think Enes hinted was around policies. Usually when we say policies, it feels so far-fetched, but it’s some of the recommendations that we give to government for them to be able to see why they may be at disadvantage to something that they deploy as technology. And I see that because technology is fast evolving, one of the things that we usually would see is it’s just really fast-paced policy. People adapt technologies, probably you don’t even have the basic infrastructure in place, how to make sure that it is deployed within the confines that protects humans and within the confines that can make it beneficial to society. So it’s what you’re seeing as a problem. Policies that ensure that there is the right deployment, right usage, sometimes are missing. And the process of building policy is sometimes bureaucratic, so lengthy, it’s not swift to implement. And so for a long time, the disadvantage will be felt before there is a curative approach to addressing it. It’s usually not done before things happen. Nobody thinks of it till it’s really an issue, and that’s what we are seeing. So if there were a policy that probably were even global, that people are learning from, countries are adapting and customizing for their context to be able to deploy AI for climate change initiatives, who knows, it will probably be helpful. So my best thoughts was policy, because it helps us to be able to create a certain kind of guiding principles for how some of these technologies are deployed. You can add to it, right? So Ihita also wants to add to the point. Ihita?

Ihita Gangavarapu:
Yeah, thanks Lily. So she’s given a policy dimension to it, and I think it’s really important that she starts guiding principles. you’re looking at AI, I think it’s definitely here to stay. So, and we’re already, I think, past, I don’t know, we still use the term emerging technology, I think it’s quite emerged now, and quite integral part of basically everyday life, especially those who have, let’s say, use the services regularly. But in cyber security, we use the term security by design. So, can we have something similar when it comes to environment, right? Can we have something environmentally conscious by design? Like, I think it’s a great question, because at the very starting of a supply chain, when you’re designing development, then maybe comes, you are deploying it. Can we have something there? And I think that is where if you have policy starting right at the beginning of coming up with the technology itself, then the whole chain itself is very conscious, and to what could be the repercussions of not following a particular policy on the carbon footprint. And that’s the kind of thought process that I have. Be happy to add more to it. But given the time, I think I will hand it over to the moderators.

Monojit Das:
In addition, there’s one thing that whether we should first focus on how much, you know, potential or how much threat can AI pose to us, then we can think on the extension part. It is an unending, because you see, in a few months back, the very top CEOs decided, you know, we should stop researching on AI for six months. Probably that wasn’t the news going around. But did they stop working? Did the company stop? No, they didn’t stop. So, it’s like, they’re working and they want others to stop, you know. So, at least they want to be on the advantageous side. That’s what I feel. Because unless and until we research to what extent we can go, we cannot find out what can be the drawbacks. It should be parallel, you know. We have to build a house, then we can find whether it’s earth-resistant or not. Unless you can shake it, before that you can’t make a two-story and then think whether the six-story will fall or not. We have to build a six-story and then probably we can shake it to see whether it falls or not.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
I like the analogy at the end, with a two-story and a six-story, like you’ve got to test it to see if, that’s interesting. There was a second question actually, it said, what can I do, right? I think we as individuals too, I think we’ve been demanded from different stakeholder groups the question is, what can we do? I would start from the awareness creation. So you’ve had something from here, you want to go and probably just, you can use a social media. That’s sometimes like very little, but if it were consistent and continuous and creates awareness in such a way that people are seeing, then people get to know that there’s an issue and there is a demand for some hearing, for people to take some action. So I would take that angle, I know some others would want to add to it. So for me, I feel like one of the things that people would need to be able to swing into action is a knowledge and knowledge sharer, to be the one to create awareness and help people to swing into action. I would have, who wants to add something? What can individuals do?

Gabriel Karsan:
Thank you very much for those contributions. All I want to say is what we should do is an important question. Be bold, be vocal, be accountable. It’s one internet, it’s one world. The solutions are here. We need to provide solution digital leadership. And I’m so happy for our colleagues from Hong Kong and all the room who shared this perspective. It shows how much we are connected, the internet, interconnected networks, but behind those nodes are people. And the solutions are always people centered. The first, second, even third industries, but they were mitigation based on challenges. We see how eco-friendly design has gone in hardware. We can do it as well on the internet. and make it sustainable. So, I will welcome my panelists to finish to give some parting words. Just mine, I remind you, be bold, be vocal, and let’s do it, let’s cooperate. And thank you all.

Monojit Das:
Thank you. Your turn. Well, thank you. I feel if you see this way, like the topic that we have come up with might have attended other sessions as well. So this topic itself, getting selected and getting an opportunity to present in front of you and you opening up to yourself. It still speaks that we have this idea is a success. And I’m sure the success has already started to come out from yourself. And with this, as my co-panelists have highlighted, it can be started with small steps, taking initiative from making groups. And that will lead to us probably in the next session and next year we’ll be having a bigger platform to discuss upon. Thank you.

Ihita Gangavarapu:
Yeah. So I love the motivation and the points by Carson. And I also agree with the points made by… That is something we’d be able to do with the internet, right? And at the end of the notes, the people. So we’ll be able to talk about what solutions we require, what are our concerns, and we should leverage the internet for that. In addition to that, what I’d like to say is that there are organizations and initiatives that are working and putting in their efforts to create products and services that are environmentally conscious, right? And we should be identifying them and supporting them. So I think that is something we should be working towards and helping them. Thank you.

Lily Edinam Botsyoe:
So I get a last say and this is a thank you to all of you for being an engaged audience for you online. Thank you. for making the time to be a part of the conversation. We’ve come to see that technology essentially can be helpful for mitigating what we see when we talk about climate change agendas, we talk about the negative impact of technology, and also can maybe be contributing to what the problem is. And I’ll make the point clear that it behooves us to start the conversation, get government, get authority, get people to be aware. And at the end of this, let us know that connecting the less billion, connecting the unconnected is inherently a matter of sustainability. Thank all of you for coming. The notes will be shared with all of you and let’s create some change. Thank you. We can all come here and join us for a group picture, please. So please, let’s get a group photo and thank you very much, arigato. Thank you. Oh, sorry. Excuse me. Thank you. This is everybody? Everybody wants to speak on this session? Yeah, it’s just all of us. Like a fun one, right? Let’s do a fun one. Hey. Let’s say yo-yo. Yo-yo. Great. Thank you so much. Oh, my god. I made it straight to my house. All right. I’m just going to do that one more time. Let’s see. Oh. Yeah. Everybody’s so nervous. And I love that no one’s talking to you right now. Because I love that. Yeah. Okay. Maybe? I will throw it. You see, it’s supposed to be moved up. Here is the key. Here is the key. I am going to hit it.