Just 8 years left to make the UN 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development a reality.. It’s an uphill task – to uplift the people and the planet and to reverse Climate Change. But we have a potent tool with us – Digital Technologies. With this aim in mind, a multinational Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) was formed in 2021. It’s an ambitious coalition that aims to use Digital technologies and knowledge to fight the triple challenge of Climate Change, loss of biodiversity and enabling resource sustainability.
Digitalization has taken the world by storm and impacted our lives profoundly and no wonder we cannot imagine our lives without the ease of a search engine at our disposal, installed on our smartphone to provide solutions to all our problems- big or small. CODES may seem like a fantasy but has been envisaged as an Action Plan to empower and accomplish an equitable future and global Sustainability. The primary objective is to conduct collective intelligence through collective action, emphasizing on inclusion, diversity, and gender balance.
Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability or CODES : A United Nations Initiative
Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability or CODES presents before the world a strategic approach to address and bring about a change in the digital space that would ensure a positive Digital Transformation through a multi-stakeholder alliance. It is an advancement derived from the Roadmap of Digital Cooperation and would play a crucial role in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. On this Environment Day, let’s take part in this steady-paced growth by learning about this impeccable initiative and going digital all our way.
The future of this planet depends on how we mortals behave to save it from further environmental degradation and weaponize Digital Transformation to assist social, economic, and environmental changes. We have rightly identified the potential Digitalization brings, and now it only necessitates collective consciousness and action. To counter climate change, Digitalization can aid us to not exhaust our non-renewable natural resources, restore balance in the ecological systems, and administer social equality. Here comes CODES into play to accelerate this reorientation through digital innovations in every sphere of life, mitigate risks and scale up progress. Let’s understand CODES Action Plan at a glimpse, as it calls for THREE Systematic Shifts for a Sustainable Planet:
- Shift 1- Enable Alignment: The very first shift proposes global coalitions to reorient and prioritize the primary objective of sustainable development through shared goals, values, and vision.
- Shift 2- Mitigate Negative Impact: The second shift appeals for a commitment toward Digitalization and reducing social and environmental risks posed by digital technologies. The key areas to focus on include material and energy consumption; greenhouse gas emission; misinformation and unequal access to digital technologies; human rights violation and discrimination, etc.
- Shift 3- Accelerate Innovation: The final shift calls for digital innovation and mobilization of resources to implement the agenda and translate it into action for the society at large.
Alongside the Three Systematic Shifts, it also propounds Six Strategic Priorities under each Shift and Nine Impact Initiatives, which govern the Action Plan.
We, as stakeholders, are responsible to co-create and co-design this transformation. There are numerous opportunities to engage with and contribute to CODES’s shifts, priorities, and Impact Initiatives. Dimensions is committed to empower by experimenting with Digital Content and break-free from restrictive forces to aid and allow greater accessibility to everyone. By following this action plan, we would surely be able to secure Sustainability in this Digital Era. The Engagement Pathways for the stakeholders to collaborate are:
- Catalyzer: Stakeholders responsible for implementing the Action Plan by directly engaging with the Impact Initiatives.
- Action Network: Stakeholders who register with CODES and support the sustainability initiative by applying the Three Shifts.
- Advocates: Stakeholders who align with and advocate for CODES’ values and vision by joining its community of practice.
Dimensions Content Writing, as an Advocate for the Action Plan, is dedicated to Knowledge Creation, Awareness, and Empowerment by making use of digital assets to contribute to CODES in its initiative to achieve Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability through Digital Transformation.
This Environment Day, do pledge to consciously think in terms of Sustainability and to build an equitable, safer, and healthier future by addressing digital opportunities. However, we must not also forget to reduce risks associated with technologies that directly threaten our beautiful planet. We need to focus on creating sustainable solutions to our modern problems rather than finding quick ones which only pose a danger to our existence.
Remember, it can only be done in unison. So, inform and unite in action.
