Green ICT, ICT for Green: Huawei Executives and Partners Share Insights on Net Zero Cities at COP29
[Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov 22, 2024] At COP29, Huawei, in partnership with the UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub (UGIH), hosted a session named "Digital Power and ICT's Innovation Enable Future Net Zero City." The session brought together experts from various organizations to explore innovative solutions for decarbonizing cities and accelerating the transition to net zero.
At the event, Massamba Thioye, Director of the UGIH, noted the crucial role of cities in achieving climate goals, highlighting their significant contribution to energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
"Cities are the starting point for a digital technology-led, sustainability transformation focusing on infrastructure and governance," said Mohan Munasinghe, former Vice Chair of UN IPCC and co-recipient of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He explained how climate action catalyses partnerships between people, businesses and governments, facilitating balanced inclusive green growth. Giorgia Rambelli, UTM Urban Transitions Mission Director, also emphasised the cooperation among stakeholders.
Victor Chen, Executive of Green Transformation, Huawei
Citing real-world examples, Victor Chen, Executive of Green Transformation at Huawei, described how digital innovations are being implemented across industries – including transportation, manufacturing, mining and steel – to facilitate a green transition.
Richard Cockle, Head of GSMA Foundry, stressed the significance of energy-efficient connectivity solutions in the mobile industry while sharing the environmental benefits of smart, comprehensive connectivity.
Tim Feng, Chairman of DeepRock Group, emphasized the importance of innovative green smart campus solutions for achieving carbon neutrality in a sustainable construction industry.
Acknowledging that green cities cannot be built overnight, Safder Nazir, SVP of Public Sector for the Middle East & Central Asia at Huawei, added: "Forward-looking guidelines, standards and codes will ensure the desired outcomes. Localizing sustainability through net zero campuses will lead us to net zero cities."
Speakers at the session "Digital Power and ICT's Innovation Enable Future Net Zero City"
At last year's COP28, Huawei joined the ITU-led initiative Green Digital Action (GDA) as a founding partner. The company has since assumed co-leadership of its Green Standards Pillar.
At COP29, Ahmed Riad Ismail, Senior Director of Standardization and Industry Development at Huawei and Chair of the Pillar, announced that, in collaboration with global partners in GDA, the Green Standards Pillar working group has successfully mapped and categorized key ICT standards, spanning hardware, software, networking, data centres, and artificial intelligence.
"This progress will provide a clear framework for reducing the industry's environmental footprint and enable sustainable transformation across sectors," Ismail said.
Group photo of partners in the ITU-led initiative Green Digital Action. ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin is in middle of front row
© ITU/ M. Jacobson-Gonzalez
