Green digital transformation

Digital technologies play an increasingly important role in addressing climate change and advancing environmental sustainability. Emerging innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and digital platforms are enabling new approaches to climate monitoring, mitigation, and adaptation. These technologies can help optimize energy use in networks and data centers, improve climate modelling, monitor biodiversity, and support early warning systems for extreme weather events, demonstrating the growing role of digital solutions in accelerating global climate action.

This theme explores how the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure raises important sustainability considerations and how green digital transformation can ensure that the development, deployment, and use of telecommunication/ICT technologies are environmentally sustainable. This includes improving energy efficiency across digital infrastructure, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ICT operations, promoting circular economy approaches to reduce e-waste, and strengthening policies and international cooperation to align digital innovation with global climate and sustainability goals. Digital technologies are increasingly recognized as both an enabler of climate action and a sector that must reduce its own environmental footprint.

Related ITU initiatives

Green Digital Action (GDA Initiative) – A global multi-stakeholder initiative led by ITU that promotes digital solutions for climate action while reducing the environmental footprint of digital technologies.