Digital Technologies for Environmental Sustainability

Recognizing the immense challenges posed by climate change and aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13, which focuses on climate action, the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) established the Digital Technology and Climate Change Task Force in December 2022. The Task Force aims to identify opportunities to leverage digital technologies effectively in combating climate change and to provide recommendations for professionals and relevant institutions. Since its inception, the Task Force has met regularly. After conducting a scoping exercise and defining a taxonomy, a comprehensive questionnaire was distributed twice among IFIP stakeholders, namely, technical committees and member societies, to gather insights and understand the diverse perspectives of the IFIP community on this specific matter. This document presents the Task Force's findings and is structured into two parts. The first part introduces the main concepts and challenges of climate change and digital technologies. It discusses the key challenges and concepts related to climate change, the widely adopted strategies for combating it, and the digital technologies and skills required to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of these strategies. The second part of the document focuses on recommendations tailored to various stakeholders, including individuals, computer societies, governments, the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, the research and development sector, and specific industries considered strategic in the fight against climate change: energy, manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of public awareness and education. The Final Remarks section summarizes the findings and proposed actions, emphasizing the critical role of digital technologies in mitigating and addressing climate change. This section also presents general recommendations for various stakeholders. The Task Force Composition and Historical Background section introduces the task force members and provides a brief historical overview. Finally, the References section lists sources and additional reading materials. The illustration on the cover page, created by DALL·E on March 24, 2024, through interactions with Raimundo Macêdo, depicts two people shaking hands"”one representing the green transition and the other representing the digital transition.