Proposal

APrIGF 2023 Session Proposal Submission Form
Part 1 - Lead Organizer
Contact Person
Dr. Syed Kazi
Email
Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) *
Asia Pacific
Designation
Director
Gender
Male
Economy of Residence
India
Primary Stakeholder Group
Civil Society
List Your Organizing Partners (if any)
Organisers
Dr Syed Kazi, Director, Council for Social and Digital Development (CSDD), Email: syedskazi@gmail.com
Mr. Osama Manzar, Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF); Email: osamam@gmail.com

Co-Organiser
Association for Progressive Communication (APC)
Part 2 - Session Proposal
Session Title
Digital Environmental Sustainability through Circular Economy and Sustainable Design Solutions
Session Format
Roundtable
Where do you plan to organize your session?
Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants)
Specific Issues for Discussion
Overall theme: Digital Environmental Sustainability through Circular Economy and Sustainable Design Solutions

With the increasing demand for these digital devices, 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 rights-centered design solutions which involves designing products with human 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 calls for willing collaboration and innovation from manufacturers, consumers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Early experiences from countries like India and evolving models like ‘Digital Green Prakriya’ (Processing) could be positive signs towards this in global
Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF
Digital environmental sustainability is closely related to several key issues in the Sustainability track. Digital technology has a significant impact on climate change, both positive and negative. while digital technology can enable more efficient and sustainable practices, such as remote work, virtual meetings, and smart grids, on the other hand, the production, use, and disposal of digital devices and infrastructure can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. It requires an increasing shift towards more responsible disposal and recycling practices, as well as the development of eco-design principles that make digital devices easier to repair and recycle. It requires developing digital products and services that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and ethically sound, and calls for circular economy, to reduce e-waste and maximize the value of digital resources through reuse and recycling of materials. It calls to align with key SDGs like SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Finally, it is related to effective laws, policies, and regulations that promote sustainable practices and hold digital companies accountable for their environmental impacts.
The discussion will meaningfully contribute to the overarching theme on ‘Emerging Technologies’ and how and why the Asia-Pacific Region needs to look at these issues around digital environmental sustainability to balance tech need with environmental priorities.
Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right)
Time frame (e.g. 5 minutes, 20 minutes, should add up to 60 minutes) Description
60 minutes The session will be a Round Table Discussion wherein invited speakers will discuss on the session topics with participants in the session. This will be facilitated by the moderators.
Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible)
  • Moderator (Primary)

    • Name: Syed Kazi
    • Organization: Council for Social and Digital Development
    • Designation: Director
    • Gender: Male
    • Economy / Country of Residence: India
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.linkedin.com/in/syed-kazi-39a63944/
  • Moderator (Facilitator)

    • Stakeholder Group: Select One
    • Expected Presence: Select One
    • Status of Confirmation: Select One
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.linkedin.com/in/osamamanzar/
  • Speaker 1

    • Name: Osama Manzar
    • Organization: Digital Empowerment Foundation
    • Designation: Director
    • Gender: Male
    • Economy / Country of Residence: India
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.linkedin.com/in/osamamanzar/
  • Speaker 2

    • Name: Shawna Finnegan
    • Organization: Association for Progressive Communication
    • Designation: Coordinator, Technology and Environmental Justice
    • Gender: Female
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Canada
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: Online
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-f-663bb130/
  • Speaker 3

    • Name: Veena Sahajwalla
    • Organization: UNSW Professor and Director of the Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT@UNSW) Centre at UNSW Australia
    • Designation: Professor
    • Gender: Female
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Australia
    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Invited
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.linkedin.com/in/veena-sahajwalla-3a79b420/
  • Speaker 4

    • Name: Pranshu Singhal
    • Organization: Karo Sambhav
    • Designation: Founder
    • Gender: Male
    • Economy / Country of Residence: India
    • Stakeholder Group: Private Sector
    • Expected Presence: Online
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranshu-karosambhav/
Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session.
The above contributors comes with their own experiences at research, policy, practice and advocacy levels on issues on digital rights and environmental justice, on circular economy in electronics and electrical wastes and digital environmental sustainability.
If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for.
We can request for an onsite facilitator on the topic of session as well as an onsite speaker who comes with experiences and capacity on the subject and issues and can contribute to the rich discussion.
We request you if you can find a suitable speaker for the round table.
Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2023.
No
Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2023?
No
APrIGF offers live transcript in English for all sessions. Do you need any other translation support or any disability related requests for your session? APrIGF makes every effort to be a fully inclusive and accessible event, and will do the best to fulfill your needs.
Not required
Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers)
    Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers)
      Consent
      I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2023.