As part of the #Youth4DigitalSustainability project, 50 experts under 30 from all parts of the world have developed twelve recommendations for the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the Internet. These are now presented to the United Nation’s Internet Governance Forum.
Berlin, November 2, 2020 - The Internet and digital technologies contribute significantly to global CO2 emissions, e-waste is a cross-border challenge and global inequalities are increasing. Digital policy and the climate crisis are two issues that particularly affect young people. Therefore, the Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI) has called on young experts from Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America to analyze the social, economic and ecological sustainability effects of digitization in the project #Youth4DigitalSustainability. The aim was to develop solutions that go beyond a purely German or European perspective.
Twelve concrete demands emerged from the working process, which lasted several months, in four working groups focusing on environment, economy, society and governance. Key aspects of these demands include environmentally friendly Internet access, circular economy, the inclusion of marginalized groups, and the democratization of the sustainability discourse. The complete paper is available for download.
Elisabeth Schauermann, Project Manager #Youth4DigitalSustainability gives insight into the process: "The Internet and digital technologies can make a major contribution to strengthening political and economic participation, making better use of natural resources and promoting global development. At the same time, we also see the challenges and risks of digitization for the environment and societies. In this area of conflict, we have succeeded with #Youth4DigitalSustainability in identifying those aspects that require acute action by various players across 32 countries and 12 time zones.”
The results will be presented by the members of the working groups at this year's United Nations Internet Governance Forum, which will be held virtually for the first time from November 2 to 17. On November 16, the outcomes will be discussed in depth in the roundtable format “Youth & Sustainability: Creating change through collaboration”.
About the German Informatics Society
The Society for Computer Science e.V. (GI) is with about 20,000 personal and 250 corporate members the largest and most important professional society for computer science in the German-speaking countries. Since 1969 it represents the interests of computer scientists in science, economy, public administration, society and politics. With 14 departments, more than 30 active regional groups and countless specialist groups, the GI is the platform and mouthpiece for all disciplines in computer science. The members commit themselves to the ethical guidelines for computer scientists of the GI. Further information can be found at www.gi.de.