IGF 2023 Town Hall #69 Digital Environmental Sustainablity through Circular Economy

With the increasing demand for new and newest digital devices, more driven by Covid pandemic, the impact of this linear model is becoming increasingly pronounced in Global South and in countries like India in South Asia. One issue is the use-and-throw culture without considering the environmental impact of their actions. Secondly, with increasing digital linear consumption, the extraction of minerals and other resources is putting significant pressure on the planet's resources, including rare earth metals and other critical minerals. Furthermore, digital devices are energy-intensive to produce and significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
Thus, there is growing need and priority to transition to a more circular economy model for digital devices that involves reducing waste, reusing and repairing devices, and recycling materials to create new products. This involves implementing use-repair and reuse culture, and developing and promoting desired social and behavioral change. Digital citizenship and digital identities come with a responsibility in the consumers with interest and willingness to adopt repair and reuse practices having unmapped social, economic and environmental benefits.
This also calls for sustainable human and environmental rights-centered design solutions which involves designing products these rights in mind, such as fair labor practices, and using materials that are environmentally sustainable, and designing products that are easier to repair and reuse.
By promoting a circular economy in digital devices, positive impact downstream and upstream can be achieved. A natural shift to a circular model entails repair and refurbished economy with jobs and entrepreneurship, serve as source of secondary raw materials from the ‘urban mines’ from the mounts of e-wastes. Thus, this transition calls for willing collaboration and innovation from manufacturers, consumers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Early experiences and learnings from countries like India and evolving project models like ‘Digital Green Prakriya’ (Processing) could be positive signs of taking the circular economy to the community with a potential to generate a reverse circular movement bottom up and paving a democratic digital environment sustainability push upwards for policy and programme transitions at government and industry levels.

1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees?
There will be max 6 speakers, onsite and online, and total 60 minutes will spared for the speakers and discussions around them. While the speakers are engaged, the format shall be engage onsite and online speakers in a mixed manner to maintain the inclusive participation process. 15-20 minutes will be reserved for the attendees onsite and online for sharing their perspectives in the form of Q&A and comments.

2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants?
The session will be a round table and speakers will be given sub-themes and topics with key indicative questions in advance to prepare and share on the session day. This will help to get concrete responses that are relevant to the discussion. It is planned to put 3 questions for each speaker in the session in 3 rounds of discussion.

3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session.
We intend to use ZOOM platform and use the chat features extensively to share comments, inputs, questions. We are also exploring other platforms that may be more feasible for the participants.