IGF 2022 WS #513 The technology-environment nexus: Connectivity Alternatives

Description:

Digitalization has increased the consumption of natural resources and this trend is growing steadily. Though Digitalization rides on giant networks, powered by data centers and technologies distributed around the world, its raw materials comprise a variety of metals, plastics, and chemicals. Some of the more common metals include copper, lithium, tin, silver, gold, nickel, and aluminum which are often sourced from natural sources.
There has been a growing concern about sourcing methods and the subsequent recycling of electronic devices which contributes to digital unsustainability. Not much research has been carried out on the particular areas of social-digital inclusion and environmental protection as two important pillars of sustainability. There has rather been increasing growth in the economic development pillar. This session explores the best practices to extend connectivity and dive into the technology-environment nexus with the goal to find alternative innovation approaches that even less resource-intensive nations can adapt to achieve less costly and more sustainable technologies.
The more we dive into new realms of digital design of technologies the more it demands resources in its balance of power consumption and production, Semiconductor mining for chips in the era of IOT devices requires massive amounts of energy to power the infrastructure from its initial design to the final energy dependency usage with the end user, Its a vicious cycle embedded in the human production system and unsustainable when its equivalence to waste production is exponential, We need better eco friendly technology production and consumption, Our session takes place at a critical juncture of the climate agenda it is a personal, communal, national and global obligations to reform institutions, policy, production and consumption to innovate with eco friendly goals. The multilateral cooperation that the multistakeholder approach of the IGF has can push this message to the needed authorities to strategize how the internet can be used to save the climate with green connectivity meaningful to the planet. E Waste is a growing threat to a more technological maturing humanity in a connectivity driven industrial revival , we need to reshape our relationship to technologies that will aid achieving a sustainable healed planet our session is among the places that dialogue, accountability reforms and call to actions as internet stakeholders begin to form the rebirth of ecofriendly digital innovations.