联合国贸易发展委员会-2024年数字经济报告（英）-288页_8mb

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

Core Content

The Digital Economy Report 2024 focuses on the environmental sustainability of the digital economy, highlighting both its challenges and opportunities. It emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to digitalization that supports inclusive development while minimizing negative environmental impacts.

Main Points

Environmental Impact of Digitalization

• Carbon Footprint: The information and communications technology (ICT) sector's carbon footprint in 2020 was estimated at 0.69 to 1.6 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent emissions, accounting for 1.5 to 3.2 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Resource Consumption: The production of a 2kg computer requires 800kg of raw materials, indicating the heavy resource use in digital technologies.
• E-Waste: E-waste generated globally increased by 30 per cent from 2010 to 2022, reaching 10.5 million tons. Developed countries produce significantly more e-waste per person (3.25kg) than developing countries (less than 1kg) and least developed countries (0.21kg).
• Global Collection Rates: Only 24 per cent of e-waste is formally collected globally, with developing countries collecting just 7.5 per cent.

Material Footprint

• Mineral Demand: The demand for transition minerals such as graphite, lithium, and cobalt is projected to surge by 500 per cent by 2050 due to the digital transition and low-carbon technologies.
• Extraction and Mining: The extraction of these minerals often involves artisanal and small-scale mining, which is associated with unsafe working conditions, environmental degradation, and exploitation of vulnerable communities.
• Geopolitical Dynamics: Transition minerals are geographically concentrated, with significant implications for international trade and supply chain security.
• Opportunities for Developing Countries: Developing countries can benefit from the digital economy by participating in the value chain, though they face challenges due to their limited capacity and resources.

Use Phase Impacts

• Data Centres: Consumed 460 TWh of electricity in 2022, projected to double by 2026. They are major contributors to energy use, GHG emissions, and water consumption.
• Environmental Impacts: Data centres have local impacts on electricity grids, water supply, and noise levels. Sustainable practices such as using renewable energy and improving energy efficiency are critical.
• Digital Services: Video streaming, AI, blockchain, and IoT have varying environmental impacts, with some technologies contributing to higher energy use and emissions.

Circular Economy and Waste Management

• Digital Waste: The report discusses the need for a circular digital economy to manage e-waste effectively, emphasizing prevention over recycling.
• International Trade: Controlled and uncontrolled e-waste trade is a growing concern, requiring global governance and cooperation.
• Policy Recommendations: Include promoting circular practices, improving e-waste management, and supporting developing countries through capacity building and inclusive policies.

Key Information

Digitalization Trends

• Internet and Data Traffic: Mobile data traffic is expected to grow significantly, with 5G coverage projected to increase from 25 per cent to 85 per cent of the population by 2028.
• IoT Growth: The number of IoT devices is projected to grow from 16 billion in 2023 to 39 billion in 2029.
• Semiconductor Production: The number of semiconductor units sold quadrupled from 2001 to 2022, and continues to rise.

Environmental Challenges

• Resource Depletion: The rapid expansion of digital technologies leads to increased mineral and energy consumption, raising concerns about sustainability.
• Rebound Effects: Digital technologies can lead to increased consumption, potentially offsetting their environmental benefits.
• Water Use: Mining and semiconductor production are highly water-intensive, affecting local water resources and ecosystems.

Policy and Governance

• Global Cooperation: International collaboration is essential to ensure equitable distribution of benefits and costs of digitalization.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The report links digitalization to SDG 12, focusing on sustainable consumption and production.
• Circular Economy: A shift towards circular practices is recommended to reduce waste and promote resource recovery.

Conclusion

The Digital Economy Report 2024 underscores the urgent need for a sustainable and inclusive digital future. It calls for a new policy mindset that integrates environmental considerations into all stages of the digital life cycle. By promoting responsible sourcing, circular economy practices, and international cooperation, the digital economy can be aligned with environmental sustainability and inclusive development goals.