On 24 January 2024, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA“) and the Government Technology Agency (“GovTech“) announced a set of digital sustainability initiatives aimed at greening the information and communications technology (“ICT“) sector, as well as utilising ICT to green the rest of the economy.
These initiatives are in support of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the public sector’s goal of achieving net zero emissions around 2045. Within the next decade, the expansion of digitalisation and of data-intensive infrastructures and applications are expected to contribute to considerable rise in the carbon footprint of the ICT sector, if not managed well.
(a) Greening the ICT sector. IMDA will be launching or continuing to pursue the following initiatives with regard to the ICT sector:
- The Green Computing Funding Initiative, under which IMDA will allocate S$30 million to push for research to optimise software design and function for energy efficiency.
- IMDA will invite industry partners to participate in green software trials to develop green software and reduce energy use and IT costs.
- IMDA will continue its efforts to green data centres, which account for the bulk of ICT sector emissions.
(b) Leveraging ICT for green. Under the Advanced Digital Solutions programme, IMDA has identified nine digital solutions for sustainability, including carbon management and resource optimisation, and will grant support of up to 70% for the adoption of the digital solutions.
(c) Whole-of-government digital sustainability. GovTech is taking proactive steps to ensure the sustainability and environmental responsibility of the Singapore Government’s digital transformation. GovTech will also be working more closely with the industry to jointly manage the government’s digital carbon footprint.
Click on the following link for more information:
- IMDA Press Release titled “IMDA and GovTech Unveil New Initiatives to Drive Digital Sustainability” (available on the IMDA website at www.imda.gov.sg)
