sustainability online
The G7 want to make digitization “greener”.
Volker Wissing (FDP), Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Affairs, speaks together with Karen Makishima, Digital Minister in Japan, at the final press conference in Düsseldorf. Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The power consumption for digital applications is high. In terms of climate protection, this is a major disadvantage. The G7 now want to work on putting digitization on course for climate change.
In order to reduce the ecological footprint of digitization, the G7 states want to pay more attention to sustainability aspects in the future.
“We must not repeat the mistake that we made during industrialization, that sustainability was neglected,” said Federal Digital Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) at the end of a meeting of G7 ministers on Wednesday in Düsseldorf. Instead, topics such as recycling hardware, protecting raw materials or reducing energy consumption should be considered.
“For example, we tend to photograph our food,” said the FDP politician. “And if you look at the number of photos of food around the world, you come to an enormous energy consumption.” One has to ask oneself whether this is really necessary. All in all, the issue of energy shortages should be brought more into people’s awareness. But more attention should also be paid to the power consumption of technological devices in the future.
“No single country can solve this alone”
“We have to think about climate change,” said Japan’s Digital Minister Karen Makishima. “We have to think globally, no single country can solve it alone.” Each country can provide its best technology it has to ensure a green future.
In addition to the Federal Republic, the “Group of 7” includes the other large democratic industrialized countries USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan. Germany currently chairs the group, so Federal Minister Wissing is hosting the event in the Rhineland. Japan will take over the presidency in 2023.
Wissing and Makishima also presented a G7 final declaration in which the seven states also practice solidarity with Ukraine on the Internet. The document condemns Russia’s “malicious cyber activities, information manipulation, interference and online disinformation campaigns.” According to the G7, they want to take action together.
“Above all, because the war is not only taking place on the soil of Ukraine, but also on the Internet,” said Wissing. Therefore, the G7 countries want to help Ukraine with hardware to increase cyber security there. What exactly is sent for technology is still unclear. The Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Fedorov, who was online at the meeting, announced that he would send a list of hardware requirements. It is still unclear when this list will come and when technology will then be sent to Ukraine.