The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF virtual intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> We all live in a digital world. We all need it to be open and safe. We all want to trust.
>> And to be trusted.
>> We all despise control.
>> And desire freedom.
>> We are all united.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Hello, everyone, a very warm welcome to you on today's session of Tackling the Menace of E‑waste. Will it be possible to share my screen? Can I get technical confirmation?
Hi, everyone. I hope you can hear me. So we are just waiting for the speakers to join and shortly we will start the session.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Hi, I request the technical committee to allow our participants. Our participants are waiting in the lobby. The online queue. I hope they join us.
>> MOSES BAYINGANA: Hi, Monmi, hi, Robert, can you hear me?
>> MONMI BARUA: Hi. I'm so sorry. I had to do some agreement signing. So, yeah, I'm here.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Okay. Great. We have Monmi with us and also have Marta joining from on‑site in Poland. We're just waiting for Daniel and Robert to join us as speakers. Daniel, can you hear me? Are you there in the session? Hi, Marta. I can see you now at the on‑site venue. Robert, Daniel, can you confirm if you're there?
Can the technical team confirm if all the speakers are here or if there are any speakers in the queue lobby of the online lobby? If they have entered, then we will start with the presentation and discussion.
So, Robert, Daniel, can you confirm if you're there? Then we can shortly start with the session.
Okay. So to respect everyone's time, I would like to begin with the session. A very good morning, good afternoon, good evening, to our global audience, whoever has joined us from different time zones across the globe.
And today, in this Town Hall Session Number 63 of Tackling the Menace of E‑waste, which is electronic waste, through greener ways, we have participants as well as esteemed speakers joining us.
So I would like to introduce the speakers to you. Firstly, we have Monmi Barua joining us from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth platform. She's also associated with The Energy and Resources Institute. She will be sharing her esteem in the field of environmental management aspect today. Then we have Daniel who's an Associate Professor teaching environmental management as a subject at the University of De La Salle in the Philippines. And Robert Turyakira. And last but not least, we have Marta Musidlowska joining us from the IGF Poland team and Youth Coordinator of Project Youth Summit associated with Women in Artificial Intelligence, and a student, herself. She has been keenly observing the work of environmental domain from the youth perspective and sharing her inputs for the same today.
So to just set the context. I hope you all can see my screen. Can someone confirm?
>> Yeah, we can see.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: So I hope my screen is visible to all. Here's my agenda for the session. To give a brief of the session, this electronic, or E‑waste, has become a global problem. With the current pandemic scenario, the revenue of electronics markets has (?) up like anything. It's still expected to grow with an annual growth rate of over 4.5% that is our projected volume of more than 500 million U.S. dollars in the, until 2025.
As such, there is a wide need to observe the quantity of previous generation globally and to tackle it in sustainable ways. We have to come up with innovative circular models.
To discuss about the circular models, we have our panelists who will cite examples or case study from the regional perspective. Will also brief us about the associations. I hope everyone is able to hear me.
>> Yes, yes, we are.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Okay. So, yeah, so today we have our panelists. So what we will do is we will go in a roundtable format.
>> We can hear you.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Can you hear me? Is there any problem? Just a minute.
>> From my site, I can hear you. I hope everybody can hear you.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Hi, yes. Thank you, Robert, for joining. There seemed to be some technical issues. I was just giving the brief of the session. Thankfully, we have you now. So we have all the speakers. So I was just setting the agenda. You arrived at the right time. I'll share my screen again. We'll start with our deliberations of the agenda. So let me just share the presentation again.
So, yes, so I have already spoke about the speakers. I have given your name and all who are appointed as speakers. Regarding the rapporteuring and moderation, Marta is there as a speaker as well as the on‑site moderator. So if an issue crops up, anybody at on‑site can reach to Marta. She's a very helpful person. She will definitely address to it.
Lastly, we have Nicholas who will be rapporteuring the session and making notes and taking the action points.
So setting the agenda. I was just giving a brief about the electronic market globally. And what impact it can hold in terms of generating a large amount of electronic waste. And together with this, different questions have been prepared for the panelists in which they will introduce themselves. They will talk about the best practices management approaches, relevant case studies from their regional point of view. Which can be taken to solve a menace of E‑waste. So they will be citing unique innovative circular business models instead or their experiences in the field of environment with Sustainable Development Goals.
Then we will at the end of the session take some action items and see how we can replicate the same to solve this problem of electronic waste.
So we have a large audience today comprising of the youth. And that is why our ‑‑ one of the agenda is how youth can be an enabler to tackle this menace of E‑waste. Thankfully, all the speakers have been associated in advocating for the youth or amplifying the voices of youth at different forums and different capacities. And that is why I'm very hopeful that we'll have some good inputs from the team.
So without any further ado, I would like to move to our first questions. Like, I have said enough in praising all of you. Now it's ‑‑ I would like to hear from you, like, what has been your background in terms of work in the environment sector? Like, what background you come from. What has been your association. And in the light of achieving net‑zero impact on climate change, what has been your contributions? How can we be motivated to hear from you.
So over to my esteemed panelists. Maybe I can request Daniel being a professor to share some of the inputs and break the ice. So over to you, Daniel.
Hi, Daniel. Are you there? Can you hear me?
>> DANIEL DASIG: Yeah. Hi. Can you hear me?
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Yes, yes. We can hear you.
>> DANIEL DASIG: Thank you, Atif. Glad to be here, everyone. I am Daniel Dasig. I work for a Master's programme in the university. And I'm part of Internet Society Philippines chapter as Vice President for Technology. So this topic is one of the many areas we have been involved with in the policy. And, of course, Internet governance.
For years I have been involved in research collaborations on technologies that can reduce carbon emissions. Infrastructure. Blockchain. Framework. Technology solutions. Intelligent and embedded systems.
Usually, deployment utilizes solar‑powered technology and utilizing the renewable energy domain. Such that I have been doing consultancy works in some organisations to improve their business processes and transition their manufacturing and industrial processes toward minimal use of gas and to help service sector to reduce its sectoral emission. Thank you.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Okay. Nice to hear from you, Daniel, since you covered different things that you have been associated with. So you also said you have been working on the aspect of how industry can contribute to the field of environment and different aspects of how United Nations or other NGOs could be enablers to take this ahead.
So on this note, maybe I would like to call upon Robert who comes from an entrepreneurial background. So, Robert, I would give the floor to you to enlighten us on what kind of work you have been associated with for the environment sector and how your vision for achieving a net‑zero impact on climate change. Over to you, Robert, if you can speak.
>> ROBERT TURYAKIRA: Yes, Atif. Thank you so much. I hope my bandwidth is strong enough to hold the video. Yes, my name is Robert Turyakira. I am the Deputy Executive Director of the Environment Shield. I like how you introduced me. I'm not from the private sector. I'm actually from Civil Society. The Environment Shield is a Civil Society Organisation. We have been largely involved in advocacy, activism for sustainable investment and responsible corporate accountability. Ensuring that it is, you know, the observance of the environment.
And what we have been doing, largely, is to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Because as you said, most of our young people who are online, they are aware that right now, the United Nations is implementing its Agenda 2030, which is the, you know, a global programme aimed at, you know, transforming our world. And for us at the Environment Shield, we're trying to see how we mainstream SDGs. We're talking about SDGs used for life under water. Then SDG15, which is life on land. We're mainstreaming the SDGs to young people participating but also approaching in the local communities. So that has been very important.
But also very importantly active is the issue that we've been looking at is championing the issue of climate change. First of all, creating awareness. Also making sure our people understand the legal framework which is aimed at championing the environmental sustainability. Motivation. Issues of climate mitigation and adaptation. But also looking at how we use a solution to push for climate justice and, you know, promoting resilience. Especially at the grassroots level. Where local communities then get involved in championing for climate sustainability.
And, of course, Atif, because of the issue of the Internet being in the forefront of the revolution, we see most of the young people utilizing the Internet. And the fact is that right now the number of, you know, issues to do with ‑‑ unlike, for example, the traditional plastic (?) So much in the traditional environmental degradation. But just when we see increase in issues of E‑waste, which needs to be managed. Especially the fact that here in Africa, Africa contributes just about 3% to 4% of the global emissions. And largely, for example, you know, refrigerators. Older cars. Which so much add to radioactive emissions.
I think this discussion is timely. That we are going to involve young people to participate meaningfully in how they can look at E‑waste management. Because the truth is the fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a Digital Revolution, it's never going to stop. It's going to continue. We should be able to come up with actions, resolutions, aimed at E‑waste, which is a menace, as you put it. As we're grappling with traditional environmental degradation, we also have a big, big change where we have a lot of emissions. Radioactive, you know, activities. And I think this discussion is going to help us to forge a direction together. Thank you very much, Atif.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Okay. Thanks a lot, Robert, on enlightening us and also clarifying you come from a Civil Society organisation. So it's very motivating to learn about how your organisation is involved in the different themes of different Sustainable Development Goals like you mentioned. Like SDG14 or covering is the SDG12.
On the note of these Sustainable Development Goals, a lot of work has been done in India or Asia‑Pacific region as well. This is, I believe, the right time to call upon our esteemed panelists me have with us. Monmi, I'd like to invite you to shed some light on how you have been associated with the environment sector, especially with the Youth Network also, since we have a lot of youth among us. So it would be ‑‑ we look forward to your inputs on this. So over to you. Yeah.
>> MONMI BARUA: Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Atif. It's an honor to be here. I'm very excited to be a part of this platform.
And, you know, like you mentioned, youth sector is very important. As, you know, we believe and we know we have experienced as well. They see things have a very different prospective. And think out of the box in order to find solutions.
Given my background, as Mr. Atif has mentioned, you know, I work with The Energy and Resources Institute. It's an independent and multidimensional organisation with capabilities from policy, consultancy, and implementation. It has, in fact, conservations and action in the energy, environment, and climate change and sustainability space for over four decades now.
Many environment issues, our focus is also on waste, and E‑waste, which is the topic for today. And, you know, I mean, the focus is, you know, we do it through creating technologies and solutions that minimizes waste generation and put all waste into useful products.
This includes initiatives, say, to promote an economy through resource‑efficient or, you know, cleanup reduction in industries. Or to maximize resource recovery and, you know, recycling for landfill.
So out of this, there are a few examples that I want to state.
Also, I'm also a part of the United Nations Sustainable Lab Institutions Network and Youth Network. To give a background, this network was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary‑General. It mobilizes global expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development.
The network, you know, it brings about ‑‑ it leverages global, scientific, and the technological expertise to, in tract, promote practical problem solving from local, national, and reaching to global scales.
Today, it has more than 1,500 members, 13 national networks. So one of the regional networks, we have, you know, maybe, like, 12 regional networks. Out of that, one of them is hosted by the Energy Resources Institute. I'm also a part of it. And it is established in 2014. You know, where I'm the network coordinator for youth in South Asia. This is a programme under, you know, to equip and train young leaders with knowledge and resources to build a more sustainable future.
So we have more than 195 volunteers involving I think 120 countries. And, you know, it reaches both to local, national, and global levels. Initiatives as well.
So SDSN has many flagship initiatives or, which works for Sustainable Development Goals and tries to bring about a change. And, you know, we do this, you know, only ‑‑ we try to do it through youth. We believe that, you know, youth are the driving forces. We try to connect them, you know, basically create awareness. So, I mean, realizing this that, you know, an environmentally conscious society can be created. So we have a dedicated area that's called environmental education awareness group where I work. And strive toward addressing a need for education for sustainable development on different sustainable issues for achieving our net‑zero impact on climate change.
So one such initiative I would want to state here is the youth climate conflict in terms of awareness. You know, we have been ‑‑ that's an annual programme, basically. It's a competitive and an educative mode of action. Bringing youth from across the country are invited to participate in awareness building, you know, in sessions. And to present their views related to climate change.
They also get an opportunity to, you know, we try to create youth pledge or youth declaration where youth, themselves, you know, play a very important role. And they try to build the declaration. That comes out right from the, you know, raw data or raw, you know, resources of youth.
So, yeah. In this, I would like to mention that, yes, youth does play a very important role. You know, right from start if we believe that youth as a youth, we all have participants as mentioned. That we have a group of youth that are present here.
We are the ones who will be ‑‑ who are the driving forces and who can bring about the change.
So thank you so much, Atif.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Thank you so much, Monmi. With this, I'd like to move to Marta who's the youngest panelist and rightly fits the youth bracket. Marta, over to you. You can share your experience about the background of work you have been witnessing in the field of environmental sustainability and climate change. Or how has your experience been or what your inputs are considering you are also a technologist being, like, associated with Women in Artificial Intelligence Network. So we would love to hear from you.
I also request the participants to respect the timeline of two minutes. We're already late on the agenda. I'd like to move to three other questions as well. Over to you, Marta.
>> MARTA MUSIDLOWSKA: I'll be as quick as I can. I'm happy to be here with you guys and be among such an experienced already participants.
Well, my experience started actually just before pandemic when I participated in Digital Economic Youth Summit in Cambridge. With other participants, we actually were focused not on ICT problems but how to tackle the problem with technology, blockchain, and to ‑‑ and AI. Shortly after that, we established the Polish chapter of Youth IGF. Seeing last year's edition of IGF, we decided probably the problem that needs to be resolved is the problem of the impact of Internet and ICT on environment or how Internet can actually help the whole digital sustainability movement, let's say.
Also because I started to be interested in that, I participated in ITU project where we ‑‑ where I was in ICT problem, let's say, group and we were trying to discuss E‑waste.
So as you mentioned, I'm also a member of Women in AI. But I am definitely not a technologist. I would consider myself more of a person from Civil Society as I am ‑‑ as I have a legal background more.
But being a member of Women in AI made me think that actually with all this Internet‑related sectors, we can combine them. Like, on one hand, AI can help in measuring the impact or in helping resolving the E‑waste problem. Or it can also produce the problem. Produce the waste because it produces ‑‑ it takes a lot of electricity, for example.
But AI, as I said, can be used, for example, to sensor and monitor the fullness of trash in the cities. As well as it can sort four times faster the trash rather than a human being.
So I'm just, as you said, I'm the youngest. I'm so here more to show that my personal perspective. I don't have that big background. But I'm super happy to hear from you guys also. Thank you.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Thank you so much, Marta. So you mentioned ‑‑ you covered quite an area of subjects to your speech. Engaging speech. You still have a ‑‑ we hope you will contribute for the cause of environment as well.
As you mentioned, your association with the International Telecommunication Union, which is the ITU. On that note, I'd like to mention, stated around 53.6 million metric tons of electronic waste was consumed by the consumers all over the globe in 2019. And the 2020 report is also yet to be announced. And considering this report, I move to the next question. Which is as the quantity of huge amount of E‑waste is rising globally, what sustainable practices or ways have you in your field of work or in your research or your associations through global networks that you mentioned have observed which can reduce this effect of electronic waste on the environment?
So maybe, anyone is up to take this question. Maybe we can hear, let's say, from Robert this time. So, Robert, what specific practices have you seen maybe from a regional perspective, if you can share? Or sustainable waste practices that your organisation, the Environment Shield, is doing, which is remarkable in the field of environment. Which can have a reducing effect for E‑waste. So you're free to share those aspects of your work. So over to you, Robert.
>> ROBERT TURYAKIRA: Oh, thank you so much, Atif. I want to salute my fellow panelists because it's very clear that the panelists were well chosen, you know, depending on the experience we all have. I'm very, very honored to be part of this engagement.
And go to the question you were asking. In the first place, let us first appreciate the situation we're dealing with, Atif. What we're advancing for is the issue of how do we achieve such an economy? What we are having right now, you know, is a global movement, you know, issues of how do we use and reuse and recycle? Okay? How do we engage in that direction? And that is very critical.
And the clear development mechanism ‑‑ Marta talked about issues of how we use green energy. You see that, yes, we are pushing ‑‑ there's a shift into artificial intelligence. You know, you have all these things of advancement into robotics and all that. Yes. That can be a revolution. The use of technology. It is very good. But let me share something. I want to speak from the perspective of Africa. You know, from an African perspective.
As I already told you in the first session that Africa, you know, how much does Africa contribute to the global emissions? The statistics show that it's about 4% of the contribution. And we all know that the biggest contributor right now, the biggest contributor of climate change at the moment are what to call the greenhouse gases. And what are the sources of greenhouse gases? The source is industrialization.
So for me, who has been at the front line pushing for climate justice or pushing for environmental sustainability, this is what I would recommend. That as a global community, especially our young people who are already participating. We must look at this issue in a broader perspective. In a sense that if we're going to have a clean economy, green economy, then it means that, you know, the perspective that we are going to have is how do we use our environment in a sustainable manner? And that will involve now responsible disposal of the waste products.
In the first place, I think we should have an available framework. Look at, for example, the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is very comprehensive. Brings to the fore, one, that every country must have a national (?) Contributions, right?
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: We have a policy question, Robert. Just to interrupt, we have a dedicated policy question. I'm very happy to hear from the regional perspective that you stressed upon.
Lastly, we'd like to keep it on track. Now I'd like to move to Monmi. If you can highlight any flagship programme of the UN SDS Network or Energy and Resources Institute or what impact it had or what kind of numbers it achieved. It can be related to other mobility programmes related to environment from which inspiration can be taken. And similar E‑waste control programmes, management programmes. So look forward to hear on those lines from you.
>> MONMI BARUA: Thank you. Thank you, Atif. I will make it short right now. I think India is the country in South Asia to have a specific legal framework, you know, for handling E‑waste since 2011. However, you know, like you already mentioned the E‑waste has risen 2.5 times I think in six years to 2019.
And also, you know, the times of the pandemic, you know, the tools have transformed into learning spaces and digitalized mediums to reach out to its target group.
E‑waste generation has become more. Has been increasing. There's definitely an urgency to increase the effort on, you know, improvement of the current practices. Be it in the collections schemes or management practices. A generation of E‑waste, I would say.
So, one, I mean, for me, I believe that all we have been doing, you know, that increasing, say, informative campaigns or capacity building or awareness is very critical to promote environment‑friendly E‑waste management programmes.
So one such, you know, example, I would give specifically in terms of waste generation is this project that we do that is for, you know, schools and college ‑‑ schools specifically. It's called Project Surge. That the sensitization ‑‑ it stands for Sensitization and Educational Awareness on Recycling for a Cleaner Habitat. The project was implemented in 2019. Apart from workshops and competitions, the project was focused on waste. And, specifically, on SDG12.
The schools were designated as the waste collection point. They're able to actually, you know, collect waste of around 25 tons. And this waste was actually was to be recycling and reconverted into books, bookmarks. This is what we feel is an achievement. Apart from that, the project also, you know, because it was in various other locations in India. North, south, east, west. We covered almost all the regions in India. And it reached out to many number of, you know, students and teachers. And also community members.
So we definitely tried to, you know, bring about change. And, of course, it cannot happen, you know, overnight. It will take time. But definitely we feel that, you know, this was I would feel one of the achievement. And this actually helped. You know, like, for me. You know. That capacity building or awareness is actually, you know, it does bring about behavioral change in the youth. And this is how we can take it forward.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Thank you so much, Monmi. That was a very good remark on how Project Surge, flagship programme of youth, made a change.
On those lines, I believe there is an urgent need for quality education in terms of what can be done for the cause of the environment. A lot of NGOs have been coming up with innovative models of gamification, introducing new circular models where they had started campaigns. But also a lot of need is there to bring about changes in quality education which, itself, is a separate Sustainable Development Goal.
With this, I'd like to move to Daniel because he comes from an academic background. Let us know what frameworks the institutions have come up with in order to tackle problems like this of E‑waste. Or have you seen any changes in curriculum over the last few years where the subject has been stressed upon, what kind of behavioral changes as Monmi also mentioned being witnessed among students. So if you can shed some light from the academy point of view, we would be very happy to take that as a point of action. Over to you, Daniel.
>> DANIEL DASIG: Thank you, Atif and Monmi. Yeah. Based on that theory. Great principles. As part of (?) right now in some of the academic institutions.
And looking at how our graduates learn from the curriculum and translate their learning in industries. We've learned that we need to revolutionize the organisation, the company. Instead, you can adopt principles, part of the philosophy of green disposal, manufacturing, and manufacturing.
Green use involves actually optimizing the tools and products that you use to minimize energy consumption. And with the onslaught of COVID‑19 pandemic, the capabilities of all, if not all, almost all of the organisations all over the world. And those organisations which had been embarked, transformation.
Was able to do corporate strategy. How to reuse green design. Looking at power management features. Powering down at the end of the day. And some companies have subscribed to outsourced services. They're going to outsource services like communication services for, like, Zoom, Google Meet, et cetera. Just to reduce the costs. And, of course, carbon emission from the facility having had another datacenter.
And in the green disposal, limiting the amount of E‑waste being disposed. Looking at how we can develop policy. It's also about corporate strategy and policy. As to reconsidering is the ‑‑
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Just to intervene here. So, Daniel, we will come to the policy question next, which is a dedicated segment. And we'll have this quick comment from you.
So it's really good to hear about the industry collaboration with the ‑‑ in sync with the research institutions and academy institutes where they can leverage the education and research and development to steer the work in terms of reducing E‑waste. And like the methodologies you mentioned, the work and across the globe.
With this, I'd like to move to Marta with some quick comments on how she has seen the quantity of E‑waste generation rising in her locality. Or maybe what best practices in terms of innovative circular models like the methodology of three Rs, reduce, reuse, recycle, has been a practice in the European countries she's been in or in Poland. What work she has seen which she was inspired. And how does she in effective ways, reduce, from a regional perspective. Over to you, Marta. A quick comment or two would be appreciated.
>> MARTA MUSIDLOWSKA: I'll be super quick. I'd like to distinguish two dimensions. One is in European countries is we have a double perspective. One is European one. The other is, like, a national approach to certain regulations.
So, for example, as far as I know, there's a rights that allow the consumer to give the old ICT device back when you're buying a new one in a shop. For example, in some countries, is lacks regulation of what to do when you're buying something online. As we know right now, everybody is buying everything online. It's kind of a problem.
What to do when, for example, someone is delivering you stuff.
So as far as I know, I did a small research. I really like the Dutch, the Netherlands, they did with that. So when you are ordering delivery, you can (?) that you want to, while someone is, for example, giving you a laptop, you can give them back, of course, the same type of ICT. If you're being giving a laptop, you have to give computer as well. If you're buying a telephone, then telephone. You're buying a telephone. So on. You can give back the TV, for example.
And so this is one thing which I really like about the Dutch. But the other thing is also that in different countries, we can observe totally different approach to an environmental issue. And to stuff like that. Because as I know, actually foal Poland has the lowest percent when it comes to the amount of waste per person in Europe, which is super surprising to me. And we have a great U.S. collection.
But, for example, as I know in Italy, there was a problem recently with the definition of E‑waste. That it wasn't that sure. And someone was selling the materials to other countries. For example, Africa. The things that should be considered as E‑waste.
We have some similar problems with making it all equal. It's because we have different mentalities in different countries. So thanks.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: That's really nice to hear those kind of behavioral changes and points you mentioned from European perspective. And to hear that Poland is among the least contributed. So I hope that same mindset can be adopted with other countries as well.
So with this, I would now like to move to our next segment which is for policymakers. Like, is there any best practice or suggestion you would want to raise to policymakers for reducing the impact of E‑waste from an environmental perspective?
Robert, I would like to invite you, and sorry for cutting you short on the policy aspect. Now I would like to take one or two minutes to explain how the best practices at the NGO level you kind of amplified it to the policy framework level in your country. Which can be adopted globally as well. And how we can, in fact, make an impact on the environment. Over to you.
>> ROBERT TURYAKIRA: Thank you so much, Atif. I think you're doing an incredible job moderating us.
In the first place, and you see that there's something that is coming out from the participants. At the end of the day, this all ends up with the policymakers. Because you see, there is a generally good way, you know, for example, if I can give an example here in Uganda and Africa, as far as E‑waste is concerned. Trying to bring in place the issue of the international instrument. Uganda, a legal framework. The National Environment Act. They recently passed here Climate Change Act which are very, very clear about issues of E‑waste management and disposal.
And I continue, Atif, that at the end of the day, the government is the biggest duty bearers in all of this. Because they are the ones in charge of implementation of the policies.
Also, I want to say that there needs to be, you know, there needs to be a partnership, you know. If you're going to achieve some of these recommendations, there should be partnership. We need to have the private sector, which is the biggest, you know, player in all of this, you know, E‑waste management drive. The private sector is very critical. We must bring it onboard.
And, of course, also as well involved in the Civil Society. We're also trying to do our work by speaking out. Amplifying the voices. But I think that we need to do more. Especially when it comes to real tangible solutions.
I can tell you, you saw what was raised when it comes to the challenges at the moment. Especially with, you know, policy implementation. Let me tell you something. We need to look at how do we, for example, achieve some of these green innovations? It must be a deliberate effort at the policy level that we have green jobs. Because the greener economy can only be achieved, as you already said, using that approach.
For me, I recommend that there should be increase in financing to that direction. There must be financing toward E‑waste management.
I can tell you, Atif, that the whole discussion should be championing policies even with E‑waste management policies that are human rights‑based.
At the end of the day, these environment issues are human rights issues. And they must be ‑‑ to have a sustainable planet. How do we tackle situations without responsible disposal?
For us in Uganda, the National Environment Act prohibits irresponsible dumping of some of these E‑waste products. One thing we're facing here in Africa ‑‑ look at, for example, Internet, digital, is about 6%. The people, Africans, pushed the level of big Internet consumers. The biggest challenge we're having is where Africa is a dumping site. Older cars. Older refrigerators. Old laptops. Used products that are just dumped here in Africa. Most of them actually emit radioactive substances which lead to E‑waste.
For me, I think going forward, we need to look at a greater perspective. How do we deal with issues like cement homes, cement houses. Digitizing. How do we push responsible and sustainable digital vision? There's been embracing of the Digital Revolution, which is very good. Of course, look at issues through ‑‑
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Just to cut you short here, so we have heard quite ‑‑ so many things from you about sectoral approaches, about finances. These are some great inputs that we have got. But the scope of the session, do respect the time of everyone, I would now like to move on with the panel.
So thank you, Robert, for your input. So this puts me in a position to wrap it up with a merging of two questions. So, Marta, I would like to move to you since you come from a legal background and have already shared one best practice about the replacement strategy of electronic and Zoom records that you mentioned about as being tracked is important. You would like people to adopt. Which is a very good methodology and can be kept under the reduce, reuse, and recycle.
My question for you, what one suggestion you have for policymakers in terms of advocating for the feel of environment. How pollution can be reduced from a legal aspect. How do you envision youth can be a focal point in this activity? How can the youth, you know, I am just merging the last question with you due to the time. So what best policy can be recommended and how youth can be an enabler to achieve that policy for tackling challenges like E‑waste. So quickly to you, Marta.
>> MARTA MUSIDLOWSKA: Okay. I'll try to be as quick as I can. As I said at the beginning, I believe technology should be a tool to solve problems created by another.
From my perspective, from my little but still some experience, I believe blockchain, for example, allows us to have a look into ICT process and what's going on with certain product.
So it also as it gives you the whole perspective, so you can see how it was produced and stuff. It also gives you power to control it. That's what we actually need. So I really believe that all processes should be available for blockchain technology. And, therefore, also to be as understandable for producers, users, and recyclers. For everyone.
When it comes to the youth, for your question, it's super not related with what I said just now. I really believe and also relating to what I said in the beginning. It might sound odd that I'm saying that. Everybody believes what is vintage is fashionable and trendy. We can really make an impact. What I'm trying to address is let's make old ICT trendy. I don't know if you understand what I'm talking about. But to really make an impact, we have to tell the others that actually, you don't need new telephone. You don't need a new laptop. You can just repair the old stuff and still use it. Why? Because everyone is doing that. Why is everyone doing that? Because it's a trend. I know it's maybe simple. But I really believe that something like that can make a change.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: I think that is a great input to bring about the behavioral change and making things trendy or fashionable for that green mindset. I think that can be a good action point.
Thank you, Marta. So over to you, Monmi. The same question to you as well. What ‑‑ the different kind of projects you have been involved with for reducing pollution or advocating changes through the youth. What one policy level change you'd like to recommend and how do you think youth can be an enabler or, you know, contribute to that change. Or raise its voice to the policy level. So it would be great.
>> MONMI BARUA: Thank you. I know time is very short right now. We're running out of time. And adding to Marta, first of all, I mean, yes, I think the difference between need and want is what we need. I mean, what is, you know, need, I would say. This basically, you know, consumer awareness that we know that, okay, we do not want a particular thing. And we know the specific difference between the terms need and want. One is basically, you know, wanting something. Which might not be needed. But need is definitely, you know, something which is you can deliver those. So that difference is very important.
And, yeah. India, for policymakers, India generated the third highest volume of E‑waste. Definitely the government have to work on some incentive mechanism.
And from each individual, I would say, it's the consumer awareness that, you know, they can do. They can work upon. Each individual does bring a lot of, you know, change.
And regarding the fourth question that is on youth. How youth plays a bigger role or wider role. So, yeah. As I mentioned earlier, you know, youth ‑‑ we realize that our stakes are high. So it is, you know, only through action. We can make this change.
And, in fact, youth has the utmost ability to compete with any individual of any group. Therefore, with everything going digital right now, going through the challenges of E‑waste, this has been, you know, one of the main influencers.
So youth, actually, you know, they do play a significant role as the building blocks of the society. And have the charisma to effect change in the status quo of this society.
Lastly, I would say education. Creating awareness or capacity‑building can bring about a fundamental shift in, you know, how we think, we act, and, you know, how we discharge our basic responsibilities to one another and the planet.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: So that was a really good input of quality education again.
Back to Mr. Daniel. Daniel, over to you. I interrupted you on the point of policy‑level changes. You can cite out one policy‑level change and how can youth since we've been interacting with a lot of young minds at the university level, how can they be motivated to work in the field of environment to tackle matters like E‑waste? One quick input from you and we'll open the floor for questions and take some of the questions.
>> MARTA MUSIDLOWSKA: I'm afraid we do not have time for questions. I received from many sources that we are lacking time. So please just one sentences, everyone. And we have to finish. I'm sorry.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: Okay. I understand. On‑site constraints, we have to wrap it up quickly. So just one sentence from you, Daniel, and we can wrap it up and take the questions.
>> DANIEL DASIG: Okay. I'd like to ‑‑ the idea of recycling as (?) However, we have to move away from the strategy to reuse ‑‑ So our youth should be involved in the instrument as a way forward. Youth are enablers of technology and applications. And we must participate in the discussions and dialogues so we can counter E‑waste acceleration locally and globally. Thank you.
>> MOHAMMAD ATIF ALEEM: I think that's a great input to wrap it up. So, Robert, we've already heard from you about the importance of youth. And, again, since we are running out of time, we have had very valuable inputs from all of you. So, Robert, Marta, Monmi and Daniel, thank you so much for giving us time today.
And since we do not have much time for audience, we already have speakers who have voluntary commitment. Foster aims and goals of the IGF during the next year as well. We hope through the points of action generated today, we will be able to amplify the voices of youth and what action points can be taken in regard to controlling the menace like E‑waste.
We have some very good examples taken from all of you which we will highlight in our background paper. We will submit it to the panel of Youth Coalition of Internet Governance Forum.
If you'd like to reach out with a specific question, I'll share the details of the speakers. You can interact with them. They're very friendly. Hopefully, they'll address your questions. Some of the very encouraging projects or the sites mentioned by the speaker like Environmental Shield, the policy network that Daniel Dasig touched upon. Or Women in AI that Marta is part of.
We hope to continue our dialogue to make this environment far more better place in a consolidated way.
Thank you so much. Thank you for your time.
Just request the panel for a quick photograph of the session. If you come with your camera, I'll take a quick screen shot and we can wrap up this session.