GeSI, Tencent to launch UN platform at COP30 climate meeting

The Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative and China's tech giant Tencent will officially launch a United Nations platform at the COP30 UN climate conference in Brazil in November to better connect climate-related needs with innovative company solutions.

Luis Neves, CEO of GeSI, a Brussels-based business association focused on the role of digital technology in sustainability, disclosed this in a recent interview with China Daily during his visit to China.

Developed for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by GeSI, the platform — for which Tencent serves as technology provider — will be opened to all GeSI members as well as other Chinese, European and global companies. This will be a major marketplace for innovations that meet human needs, he said.

Currently, GeSI has around 50 major corporate members, predominantly from Europe and the United States, with only seven hailing from the Chinese mainland, including Huawei, ZTE, Mentech and Fiberhome, he said.

But he said the association aims to attract more Chinese companies and establish a permanent presence in China, considering that the country has been a key player in the global economy and sustainability efforts.

Since his first trip to China in 2002, Neves said he has seen amazing development in terms of innovation in many different sectors, particularly the digital industry.

No other industry has evolved as quickly as the digital sector, which has been enhancing sustainability and growth opportunities, leading to improvements in the environment, education, healthcare, building efficiency, mobility, and power infrastructure, he stressed.

"So all of these are driven by the deployment of the great innovations that have been developed by many Chinese companies," he said.

He said he has not seen any country in the world make so much progress as China has, and many other countries could learn a lot from these new developments in China.

Neves also underscored the significant potential of the digital industry in driving global carbon emission reduction.

GeSI has been exploring the intersection of digital technology, sustainable development, and climate change since 2006, he said.

Several landmark studies commissioned by the association revealed that the carbon footprint of the information and communications technology industry accounts for roughly 2 percent of global emissions, he said. However, digital solutions have the potential to facilitate emissions reductions that are 5.5 to 10 times greater than the industry's own footprint.

He emphasized the strategic goal of his association — to integrate digital technologies across various industries, including energy, mobility, buildings, education and healthcare, in order to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Neves expressed high expectations from Chinese companies in the UN platform to be launched at COP30, which is also anticipated to create conditions for policymakers and cities to better understand the role of digital technologies.

"I expect them to bring their practical, scalable innovations into the UN platform, including efficient energy systems, AI solutions and sector-specific green technologies, and engage with global partners within GeSI's network, such as Google, Cisco and IBM," he said.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn