CSO receives UK funding for programme to reduce emissions in ICT sector

The Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi), a civil society organisation (CSO), has received funding from the United Kingdom (UK) for the launch of a programme to reduce emissions from the information and communications (ICT) sector.

The programme is titled “Smart climate awareness, learning, and empowerment (SCALE) for net zero”.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Gideon Olanrewaju, SCALE project manager, said the programme seeks to promote responsible digital practices in the usage and upkeep of digital tools and internet devices as well as enhance environmental awareness.

“This initiative, under the theme Smart Climate Awareness, Learning, and Empowerment (SCALE) for Net Zero, will directly engage information and communications technology companies, digital start-ups, and innovation hubs,” Olanrewaju said.

“Other key stakeholders in the tech ecosystem will be engaged to facilitate their understanding of technology’s high negative environmental cost, then mobilise them to collectively commit and act towards reducing their contributions to the digital carbon footprint.

“Despite concerted efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), the Information and Communication Industry has received little attention even though it is a significant contributor to GHG emissions.

“This is the underlying fact that led to the design of this intervention.

“It is evident that ICT emissions will not reduce without major concerted efforts that involve broad political and industrial actions and, more significantly, a coordinated response that leverages informal approaches in galvanising key actions across the whole spectrum of involvement across the ICT sector, including innovation hubs, technology start-ups, data processing centres and other producers, suppliers, and consumers of digital hardware.

“Therefore, with funding support from the United Kingdom through the Digital Access Program of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, we are excited to announce the commissioning and launch of the SCALE for Net Zero Program.

“To achieve the objectives of the SCALE initiative, we will be leveraging four major approaches, including research, public awareness, policy advocacy, and capacity development.”