Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dec 13, 2023 — Huawei, a leading global technology company, has collaborated with over 40 prominent tech companies and organizations to advocate for Green Digital Action (GDA) at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Climate Change agreement (COP28), hosted by the UAE, which concluded on Tuesday.
As a founding member of the initiative, Huawei, in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), assumes a leading role in the action plan, spearheading the launch of a peer-learning working group. This group aims to enhance industry and international collaboration in setting environmental sustainability standards.
The action plan sets forth a comprehensive roadmap designed to guide future efforts, encouraging experts to contribute post-COP28 and share best practices that have not yet been standardized. The working group is scheduled to convene throughout 2024, culminating in COP29, with a focus on accelerating the implementation of identified standards, sharing best practices, and addressing existing gaps.
Huawei, a key player in the Green Digital Action initiative, spearheads the GDA pillar on green standards, emphasizing a commitment to prioritizing sustainability in digital practices.
In a post-COP28 outcome document, the ITU highlighted, “Driven by collaboration and consensus decisions, international standardization is a key avenue to make meaningful progress toward the future we want.” Key outcomes also featured a joint statement by ITU, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) underscoring the importance of integrating sustainability into technical standards development.
Tomas Lamanauskas, ITU Deputy Secretary-General and convener of GDA, expressed optimism, stating, “The digital technology sector is giving us reason for hope with their clear commitments on climate action.” He emphasized the ITU’s commitment to working with tech partners to ensure follow-through on these commitments and to expand and strengthen them in the future.
The GDA initiative unfolded from December 2 to December 9 at COP28, with Huawei actively participating in five separate GDA events aimed at accelerating action and showcasing commitments from the tech industry.
This nearly year-long effort, backed by over 40 partners, ranging from industry associations and UN agencies to governments and the private sector, underscores the collaborative commitment to driving environmental sustainability in the tech sector. Huawei’s active involvement reaffirms its dedication to fostering a greener and more sustainable digital future.