BY STAFF REPORTER
Last week, PM Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D) told the Members of Parliament (MPs) that the government has successfully tested cloud seeding technology for the first time in the country. He further noted along with it efforts are underway to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as related Information and Communication Technologies in all relevant sectors.
The endeavour is timely and worthwhile as addressing the issue of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emission a long-overdue matter. There is a need to speed up efforts to hit a set target in a short period. Innovation of digital technologies that are suited to reduce greenhouse gas emission, according to an article by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
“We are in a race against time to lower greenhouse gas emissions,” said UNEP executive director Inger Andersen. “Only digital technologies move at the speed and scale necessary to achieve the kind of dramatic reduction in emissions that we need to see in the next 10 years.”
“Now is the time for increased collaboration and innovation to tackle the climate crisis. This Coalition goes beyond a simple pledge, with EU institutions and industry joining forces to advance shared climate ambitions, by accelerating investment in innovative digital solutions for the benefit of Europe’s sustainable future,” said Casper Klinge, Microsoft’s Vice-President for European Government Affairs.
UNEP’s support for the European Green Digital Coalition is part of an effort to use data and digital tools to encourage politicians, business leaders and consumers to embrace sustainable consumption and production. The initiative is designed to help the world tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution over the next 10 years.
Also, adapting technologies to agriculture is important as many developing countries largely depend on this sector. Addressing the issues climate-related to agriculture largely contributes to climate change. According to IAEA, to optimize agricultural practices, scientists from 10 countries – Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Germany, Iran, Pakistan and Spain – along with experts from the IAEA and the FAO, used isotopic techniques to identify factors that influence GHG emissions from farmlands during a five-year period, which ended in July 2019. The experts used the stable isotopes nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 to identify sources of N2O and CO2 emission, as well as to study the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen under different land uses.
Digital technology could help reduce the world’s carbon emissions by about 17 percent, according to a report from the International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations body. Industry players say artificial intelligence, for example, could help make electric transmission grids more efficient. Blockchain technology could allow concerned citizens to track corporate carbon emissions. And the use of satellites can be further enhanced in monitoring environmental changes including activities such as illegal logging, mining and waste dumping, at sea or on land.
UNEP experts say, though, that there is a need to develop consistent metrics to measure the impact of technology on the environment, which will be key to minimizing the negative consequences of digitalization.
Only digital technologies move at the speed and scale necessary to achieve the kind of dramatic reduction in emissions that we need to see in the next 10 years.
The tech sector is responsible for 2 to 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Data centers that mine for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin alone consumed up to 0.3 per cent of the world’s electricity in 2019, as much as Belgium.
“The tech industry needs to lead this change,” said Philippe Singer, the co-founder of Leaders for Climate Action, a non-profit group. “If we move forward as a tech industry with a positive narrative, we can put pressure on politicians to put in stronger legislation but also get other industries to follow this example.”
On Friday, European nations also signed a pledge to support what they called “clean digital technologies.” Among other things, countries vowed to build 5G and 6G networks while backing blockchain technology, quantum computing and artificial intelligence, which they described as potential game-changers in the battle against planetary warming.
In the years to come, it will be vital for countries to harness the power of digital technology while at the same time respecting the rights of their citizens, said Andersen. “We are standing at a pivotal moment in human history. Decisions we take today to address environmental challenges and the governance of digital technology will set off a chain reaction that will determine the trajectory of life on this planet.”
The Ethiopian Herald March 31/2021
