Rockefeller challenges Exxon

Is this a giant step closer to a transformative shift in the climate work? Reading the news about the need for a low carbon economy these days can make you an optimist. But when those who more than anyone else could claim to be the founders of the oil industry think it is time to move on, that is historic.

However, judging from the media coverage it looks like Rockefeller only seems to focus on the supply-side. Maybe this is medias lack of capacity to deal with the demand-side (would not be the first time) or maybe the Rockefeller’s are not as progressive as they need to be (but challenging Exxon takes more guts than most have, the Swedish government should be inspired in their relation to Vattenfall).

Eradicating poverty and saving the climate at the same time

Attended a bilateral donor meeting in Geneva early this week with some of the more progressive donor countries. The theme was climate change, innovation, ICT and poverty. I presented some ideas about ICT and focused on the triangular approach (see Re-think Chinese outward investment flows for background or this new paper about “completing the triangle” for an overview). I’m surprised how easy the poverty work turns reactive and that the focus on ICT in relation to poverty tends to focus almost exclusively on adaptation. The need to move people rapidly out of poverty and use ICT to ensure a rapid and resource efficient development path is really not well explored.

I really would like to follow up on the work in “Sustainability at the speed of light” where the role of ICT and poverty was explored six years ago. With micro finance and much smarter ICT solutions as well as a more widespread understanding of the climate challenge the room for truly sustainable initiatives that deliver results should exist today.

OECD focus on opportunities for ICT in reducing CO2 emissions in Copenhagen

For the first time the OECD countries meet for specific discussions on ICT and the environment. Another sign of how ICT and climate is now part of the mainstream agenda.

The agenda was a collection of different perspectives.

Many very interesting presentations and we are moving from a situation where almost all of the attention is on IT’s internal problems to more focus on the opportunities. Still it is interesting to see how difficult it is to move away from IT’s own emissions (2%) to the opportunity ICT have to help reduce emissions the rest of society (98%). People agree that the 98% should be the main focus, but then structures, responsibilities and funding seem to push people back into the 2% corner. It would be interesting if the time/resources spent in conferences like these where allocated so that ICT’s own emissions where given 2% time and the role for ICT to reduce emissions in the rest of society where given 98%. If speakers where to change the allocation of their time they should explain why they did this…

At the event I did a presentation where I presented the result from out report that will be launched next week, the 29^th. “Outline for the first global IT strategy for CO2 reductions: A billion tonnes of CO2 reductions and beyond through transformative change”. The presentation was well received and I hope that the report can contribute to concrete projects that start to deliver so we fast achieve the first billion tonne and move further. It will be available on www.panda.org/ict

OECD focus on opportunities for ICT in reducing CO2 emissions in Copenhagen

For the first time the OECD countries meet for specific discussions on ICT and the environment. Another sign of how ICT and climate is now part of the mainstream agenda.

The agenda was a collection of different perspectives.

Many very interesting presentations and we are moving from a situation where almost all of the attention is on IT’s internal problems to more focus on the opportunities. Still it is interesting to see how difficult it is to move away from IT’s own emissions (2%) to the opportunity ICT have to help reduce emissions the rest of society (98%). People agree that the 98% should be the main focus, but then structures, responsibilities and funding seem to push people back into the 2% corner. It would be interesting if the time/resources spent in conferences like these where allocated so that ICT’s own emissions where given 2% time and the role for ICT to reduce emissions in the rest of society where given 98%. If speakers where to change the allocation of their time they should explain why they did this…

At the event I did a presentation where I presented the result from out report that will be launched next week, the 29^th. “Outline for the first global IT strategy for CO2 reductions: A billion tonnes of CO2 reductions and beyond through transformative change”. The presentation was well received and I hope that the report can contribute to concrete projects that start to deliver so we fast achieve the first billion tonne and move further. It will be available on www.panda.org/ict

Next generation of change makers, or conference tourists?

Attended the the LSU annual global conference, arranged in cooperation with WWF. The theme was Climate Change: Youth Perspectives on Security, Peace and Democracy. I always have mixed feelings at these kinds of events. On the one hand there is so much energy and potential on the other hand there is a risk that many of them will turn into people either working within systems that are part of the problem, or taking on the role as an outsider and never really engaging in the work that is needed to move from dreams to reality.

Maybe we are now in a situation where this will not happen and a new generation will not accept compromises and lack of concrete results. Maybe they will be willing to work in networks that look beyond current structures? I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hope to do what I can. One thing that I really want to see happen is “a change maker’s guide in the 21^st century” that can help a new generation to move beyond report writing and seminars…