P166 short courses on key international economic and development issues for Geneva-based delegates

Digital Economy Report 2024: Shaping an Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future

Digital Economy Report is a flagship UN Trade and Development publication, which considers the development implications of digitalization. The 2024 edition addresses the environmental footprint of digitalization in the context of trade and development, a topic that has been understudied. Environmental impacts along the life cycle of digital devices and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure are discussed, including raw material extraction and processing, manufacturing and distribution, as well as the use and end-of-life phases. One chapter is dedicated to electronic commerce.

The course will present global trends, explain the digitalization and environmental sustainability nexus and discuss policy options, underscoring the importance of ensuring inclusive outcomes. At the end of this course, participants will have gained knowledge of:

• Main environmental impacts of digitalization
• Good practices in terms of assessing the environmental impacts of digitalization
• Environmental dimensions of digitalization and how they affect countries at different levels of development
• Development opportunities that emanate from environmental sustainability and inclusive digitalization
• Role of Governments and other stakeholders in ensuring sustainable and inclusive outcomes from digitalization
• How voices and concerns of developing countries can be better reflected in global responses to digitalization