1. Key Policy Questions and related issues:
1. How can existing and emerging digital technologies contribute to addressing climate change and how can they foster change in various sectors of the economy (manufacturing, trade, agrifood, etc.)? What initiatives exist and what can be done to improve them?
2. What role can data and AI play in tackling sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity, conservation and water scarcity?
3. How could policy-making benefit from the analysis of big data to better understand impacts of policy decisions on sustainability?
2. Summary of Issues Discussed:
Discussion about a multistakeholder approach to saving the planet
The speakers discussed how multistakeholder collaboration could help in developing meaningful solutions to address environmental challenges. It was agreed that both governmental and corporate standards are needed and can complement each other. Matt Peterson explained that Amazon is trying to pioneer corporate standards by bringing together different corporations to commit to the same goals.
With regard to the work of Oceanmind, Nick Wise stated that multistakeholder collaboration is needed to protect the ocean. Governments play an important role as they set and agree on regulations and international treaties and are responsible for enforcing shipping rules. Local NGOs are essential for engaging governments and in understanding the local culture and concerns and complexities. All parties are needed to come together to achieve impact.
The moderator Jorge Cancio (Swiss Government) closed with stating that multistakeholder collaboration is a minimum requirement to address environmental issues. Furthermore, the intersessional work within the IGF on environment and digitalisation should and will further evolve.
7. Reflection to Gender Issues:
At least half of the workshop participants were women, who actively contributed to the Chat. The panel itself was balanced to include a woman speaker (Caroline Louveaux, Mastercard), woman online moderator (Barbara Wanner, U.S. Council for International Business), and woman substantive rapportuer (Livia Walpen, Govt of Switzerland).
The session did not directly address issues related to gender equality and/or women’s empowerment.
10. Voluntary Commitment:
Overall, speakers pledged to take forward to IGF goals and objective by providing inputs to the online submission portal. In addition:
Paola Gemma (Huawei) pledged to continue working in the ITU-T Study Group 5 (focuse on the environment) to " write something to help the young generation to have a better world. Sometimes we cannot change the past but we can build the future."
Caroline Louveaux (Mastercard) pledge to continue is to promote trust, security and human rights in the digital era, including for the global collaboration that is needed, we have been discussing today, in the context of artificial intelligence, data and technology. This foundation of trust will enable the use of technologies to address environmental challenges.
Nick Wise (Oceanmind) pledged to remain ommitted to improving the health of the ocean using technology.
Matt Peterson (Amazon) noted the IGF's important work and expressed a commitment to continue to provide updates to the IGF community of what Climate Pledge Fund's supported companies are building to improve the environment.