Page 19 - Frontier Technologies to Protect the Environment and Tackle Climate Change

Frontier Technologies to Protect the Environment and Tackle Climate Change

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

Information and communications technologies, data and the new digital economy are all around us
and transform society. More than 50 per cent of the world´s population – 3.9 billion people – are
now connected to the internet, and since 2018 there have been more mobile phone subscriptions
in the world than people. This explosion in the use of digital technologies is playing a major role in
shaping cities – from the internet of things and sensor networks, to digital platforms and tools for
urban management and service delivery and the coming age of electric and autonomous mobility.
Well-managed use of these technologies can contribute to sustainable development and promoting
human rights by reducing carbon emissions from transport, increasing access to information for
persons with disabilities, facilitating participation in public affairs for young people, and ensuring
comprehensive access to services for communities at risk of marginalization. The New Urban Agenda
calls for the adoption of a “a smart-city approach that makes use of opportunities from digitalization,
clean energy and technologies”.

As access to digital technology is becoming increasingly necessary to access services, the labour
market and urban life, a persistent digital divide remains. While 50 per cent of us have access to the
internet, the other half do not. The digital divide within countries is nearly as high as that between
countries. Worldwide, about 21 per cent of households in the bottom 40 per cent of their countries’
income distribution do not have access to a mobile phone and 71 per cent do not have access to the
internet. Women are less likely than men to use digital technologies and groups already at risk of
marginalization are particularly negatively impacted, for example older people.

While technology has demonstrated the potential to increase efficiency and productivity and create
value, it also creates risks of asymmetries among actors at all levels. It holds great promise for
sustainably increasing the quality of life but must be carefully directed and managed. Our challenge
is to set a new direction that favours the inclusive, resilient and sustainable use of technologies in
cities. Considering the importance of this, the Secretary General made “reducing digital inequality,
building digital capacity and ensuring that new technologies ...are a force for good” one of his top
five priorities.

By bringing its unique global urban perspective to the smart cities field, UN-Habitat can ensure that
potentially highly disruptive technology is used effectively for sustainable urban development. UN-
Habitat’s multisectoral approach to urban development and deep knowledge of urban fundamentals
provides a good opportunity to move the discussion about smart cities beyond technology and link
it to the implementation of the urban dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically
SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda. Critically, sustainability in cities will not be primarily be about
tech-filled buildings, cars and tools, but people, communities, mixed walkable neighbourhoods and
interconnectivity. Our aim is to make the urban digital transformation work for the benefits of all,
driving sustainability, inclusivity and prosperity and the realization of human rights in cities and human
settlements.

In order to do this successfully, UN-Habitat and our partners will ensure that voices from marginalized
groups, including children, youth and older people, women in vulnerable situations and people with
disabilities as well as cities with less resources are more strongly heard. We support national and
local governments with digital transition, helping them build skills and capacity to develop, procure
and effectively use appropriate technologies to make sure that no one is left behind, including using
technologies effectively to understand the needs of underserved populations. UN-Habitat will take
an approach that is based on real challenges and priories coming from citizens and urban residents,
while seriously respecting human rights. It is critical that smart city planning focuses on solving specific
sustainability problems and key missions such as battling climate change and reducing poverty, rather
than following a technology-driven, industry-driven approach. We welcome our partnership with ITU
and the rest of the UN family in achieving these goals.

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