5 June 2012: The 7th International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Symposium on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the Environment and Climate Change concluded with the adoption of a Declaration calling on world leaders and other stakeholders attending the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) to reach agreement on how to use ICTs to achieve the global green agenda.

The Symposium was held from 29-31 May 2012, in Montreal, Canada, and was co-organized by ITU and the Government of Canada. The purpose of the Symposium was to promote the “green ICT” agenda and the use of ICTs to promote environmental sustainability, monitor climate change, and mitigate and adapt to its effects. Among other things, participants considered: climate change mitigation and adaptation; e-waste management; disaster preparedness and emergency communications; cost-effective ICT technologies; methodologies for the environmental impact assessment of ICTs; and challenges and opportunities in the transition to a green and resource-efficient economy.

The Declaration was adopted by participants at the Symposium, and urges stakeholders attending Rio+20 to identify and agree on key priorities and provide clear guidance on how to move the global green agenda forward through the use of ICTs. It also calls for increased investment in smart technologies and ICT-based clean technologies as means of promoting green growth and sustainable development.

The Declaration represents ITU’s ongoing contribution to World Environment Day 2012, which was celebrated under the theme “Green economy: Does it include you?” [ITU Press Release] [Symposium Webpage] [Montreal Declaration on Green ICT]