Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ... - ITU

assessing the environmental impact of ICTs, which are currently being developed by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) in collaboration with forty organisations, and in line with the goals of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The mitigation report concludes by addressing the role of policy makers and regulators in reducing GHG
emissions in Ghana, integrating examples from both developed and developing countries to illustrate the
importance of robust regulatory design and leadership towards e-enabled mitigation.
The suggestions provided in both reports refer to strategic actions that Ghana, as well as other developing
nations, can undertake to better adapt to the impacts of climate change and reduce carbon emissions with
the support of ICTs. These suggestions include the pivotal role and contribution of specialised agencies and
international institutions working in the ICT and climate change field.
Information and communication are among the most critical components of effective climate change
responses. The high diffusion of ICTs is increasingly translating into new approaches to cope and adapt to
climatic impacts, and mitigate carbon emissions.
The report suggests that ICTs are playing an increasing role in predicting, identifying and measuring the
impacts of climate change in developing contexts such as Ghana, and can be key enablers of change and
adaptation in vulnerable sectors such as cocoa production, forestry and infrastructure. It also suggests that
ICTs can help to reduce GHG emissions in a variety of sectors, and can contribute to make broadband
infrastructure broadly available in countries such as Ghana, without adding to carbon emissions.
From innovative SMS-based early warning systems aimed at delivering more effectively weather alerts, to
computer training provided to women and youth to strengthen local livelihoods, or radios used to raise
awareness on sustainable practices in marginalized areas, ICTs pose unprecedented opportunities for
developing countries to overcome the challenges posed by climate change.
The experience of Ghana indicates that ICTs are enabling new ways to access, use and disseminate climatic
knowledge and information among a broad range of stakeholders, to coordinate efforts, and to implement
new mechanisms for energy efficiency.
Ghana’s experience also suggests that the capacity of developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate
change impacts relies heavily on informed decision-making processes, access to locally appropriate
information, and the availability of an enabling environment (including skills, resources, standards and
regulatory frameworks) necessary to translate ICT’s potential into more resilient, environmentally
sustainable, green-growth practices. Strong political leadership and commitment, active multi-stakeholder
participation, and close collaboration among specialised national agencies and international organisations,
such as the ITU and UNFCCC, play a crucial role in this process.
While challenges still remain, it is evident that ICT’s potential is increasingly valuable within developing
countries who are at the forefront of climatic impacts and uncertainty.
As the report evidences, developing country experiences such as Ghana’s can yield valuable lessons in this
field, enabling new adaptive paths and ICT-enabled approaches to overcome the challenges, and benefit
from the opportunities posed by the changing climate.
By exploring the linkages between ICTs, climate change adaptation and mitigation, it is expected that this
report contributes to a better understanding of ICT’s role in this field.
This report is part of the activities of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) on ICT and
Climate Change, and has been commissioned by ITU and UNFCCC in support of the United Nations General
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