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WTDC 2025

Guiding ICT regulators on greening the tech sector

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Countries worldwide are taking significant strides to measure and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from digital production and services. From France to Rwanda to Brazil, regulatory initiatives are shaping the future of environmental responsibility in the ICT sector. A 2024 ITU and World Bank report underscores the pivotal role of data in crafting effective emissions reduction policies. Comprehensive, country-based data on GHG emissions is crucial for informed climate action. ICT regulators play a central role in compiling and disseminating this critical information, enabling targeted interventions for a greener future. Learn more about how better data is needed to green digital transformation.  


​Global Symposium for Regulators ​​2025 and incorporating ESG into ICT policy ​making and regulation

At the Global Symposium for Regulators 2025 (GSR-25), a session was held on ‘Sustain - What Framework for a Sustainable Future?’. The session discussed frameworks for sustainability as well as the role of digital tech in climate action, ESG compliance, and impact measurement. In addition, the article Monitoring sustainability: Incorporating ESG into ICT policy making and regulation​​, produced by ITU was released through the Digital Regulation Platform​, ​offering guidance for ICT regulators to develop and integrate ESG frameworks into policy. The consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) information has become increasingly important to investors, companies, policymakers, governments, stock exchanges, non-governmental organizations, consumers and other stakeholders. The analysis of any sector of the economy is no longer considered solely from a financial and operational sense but also encapsulates sustainability risks and impacts. The article recommends that given this growing interest, ICT regulators should consider developing an ESG framework that measures the sustainability of the sector.

In this short video​ from GSR-25, Arcep talks about digital sustainability and how France is setting a good example in monitoring the country's ICT sector footprint. Arcep is France's ICT regulator, and is currently the chair of the EGTI Subgroup on National Greenhouse Gas Emission Monitoring Indicators.  
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Global Symposium for Regulators 2024​

​ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-24) included a dedicated session on ‘Harnessing digital for climate action​'. This session allowed regulators to discuss what is needed to undertake a comprehensive global GHG emissions data collection effort.
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Global Symposium for Regulators and Global ICT Regulatory Outlook 2023 

The Global ICT Regulatory Outlook 2023 report explores nine issues that should be on every regulator's radar, including how regulation can support the twin green and digital transitions. It highlights that higher regulatory pressure is needed to report climate data and support harmonizing methodologies and standards.  
 
An event on 'Going Green with the Digital Transformation ' was held at the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-23) on the 8 June 2023 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. This session explored the involvement and role of regulators in reporting GHG emissions data and regulating e-waste originating from the ICT sector. 
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