Technology: friend or foe in the fight against climate change?
In recent years, digitalisation has profoundly changed our world, reshaping economies and societies. As we confront the climate crisis, it's clear that digital technologies must play a central role in addressing environmental challenges.
In this edition of Biodiversity Talks, 3Bee's weekly newsletter, we explore how technology can drive climate action, from AI innovations to data-driven solutions that help monitor and mitigate environmental impacts. We also take a closer look at the discussions at COP29, where digitalisation took center stage as a tool for achieving global sustainability goals.
Digitalisation and the fight against climate change
In recent decades, digitalisation has radically transformed our socio-economic system and every aspect of daily life. Today, digitalisation must play a conscious role in the face of the climate crisis, the greatest challenge of our time. For this reason, on 16 November, the COP29 programme in Baku dedicated a thematic day to digitalisation for the first time. The event was attended by more than 90 government representatives and more than 1,000 members of the technology and digital sector, including companies, private organisations and international and regional institutions. The discussion focused on the sector's strategies and objectives in relation to environmental protection and climate change.
COP29: Technology and environmental concerns
The Digitalisation Day explored the role of digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and industry innovation in global climate action. At the end of the meeting, participants signed the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, which aims to promote the development and implementation of digital tools, including AI, in climate policy. It was agreed that the adoption of new technologies is key to tackling the climate crisis. However, concerns were also raised about the environmental impact of such technologies, which, if not properly managed, could further exacerbate the phenomenon of global warming.
The impact of digital and AI on emissions
When discussing the relationship between digital and climate, attention is often focused on the problems associated with this issue. In this regard, data shows that the top 200 companies in the digital sector generate almost 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume about 2 percent of the world's electricity. This already significant figure does not include Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect and difficult to quantify along the supply chain. According to the International Telecommunication Union's Greening Digital Companies 2024 report, the top ten companies, including Amazon, Samsung, Microsoft and Alphabet (Google's holding company), account for 55 percent of the industry's emissions and 51 percent of its energy consumption. Although some, such as Amazon, have adopted policies to use 100 per cent renewable energy, the overall picture remains critical.
The Declaration on Green Digital Action
Mitigating the impact of digitalisation on climate requires action at multiple levels, including: improving the energy efficiency of infrastructure and devices; using clean energy; reducing emissions along the value chain; extending the life cycle of products; and optimising e-waste recycling. It is also crucial to develop more reliable metrics and indicators to assess the impact of these actions. These goals are at the heart of the Declaration on Green Digital Action, launched during the COP29 Theme Day. The document calls on governments, businesses, international and civil society organisations to come together to promote digitally responsible behaviour, foster digital inclusion and consider digital technologies as allies in the fight against climate change.
Data and artificial intelligence for climate
Initiatives such as OS-Climate, an open source project sponsored by the Linux Foundation, demonstrate the potential of digitalisation for climate. This project aggregates climate, economic, and financial data from global sources to provide tools for assessing physical risks such as extreme weather events, planning adaptation strategies, and helping banks and investors manage climate risk. In particular, no single company can independently collect all the data needed to develop accurate predictive algorithms on the effects of climate change. In this context, the collaborative approach of initiatives such as OS-Climate enables this challenge and provides concrete solutions to protect both businesses and communities.
New climate-friendly technologies
In an increasingly unpredictable climate, advanced technological tools such as drones, supercomputers and smart sensors are revolutionising climate emergency management. Drones monitor weather anomalies, water resources and areas affected by natural disasters. Artificial intelligence is enabling predictive models that identify forest fires or hurricane risks. According to the World Economic Forum, machine learning models not only assess climate risks, but also help calculate economic losses, enabling more informed decisions.
COP29 concluded with a historic agreement to help countries most vulnerable to climate disasters. Key targets include: tripling finance for developing countries from $100 billion to $300 billion per year by 2035; reaching $1.3 trillion per year in public and private climate finance by 2035. This new collective quantified goal for climate finance is an important step towards greater climate justice and global sustainability. An important development is the use of technology to assess climate risks.
In this context, the Element-E Platform by 3Bee Ecosystem provides companies with an integrated tool to monitor and manage their impacts and dependencies on nature, enabling them to tailor climate strategies while ensuring compliance with international reporting standards.
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