The world needs a restart, it is time for quick action. If until now we were on a train stopping at every station, we now need to board a fast train. We need to make quick, precise and clear decisions for a healthier and more sustainable economy, which means a healthier environment, said the participants at the Conference “Digitalization and transfer of technologies for overcoming carbon dioxide emissions”.
As it was said at the opening, ICT is one of the greenest industries and its task is to help the others “catch up”, because the consequences of climate change are ever more increasing.
One of the messages was that now, more than ever, there is a need for promoting scientific methods for assessing the reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions with specific ICT solutions in various sectors, but also to support digital transformation in energy, transport, agriculture and construction with the purpose to accelerate their sustainability.
-We have no time to wait. The time when profits were most important is over. If you want to succeed in the new, modern economy, you must think green, said the Director of the Fund for Innovations and Technology Development (FITR), Kosta Petrov.
He reminded that apart from the 12.5 million euro support for over 267 projects of domestic companies, the Fund has also created a special instrument for development of innovative solutions for less pollution in urban areas, in which eight companies are already involved.
According to MASIT, the ICT sector is a key player against climate change.
-The reality is as it is, fires are raging, temperature records are broken, but the corona pandemic is also a kind of a warning that has also shown that ICT is one of the leading industries. Now, almost the entire communication is conducted online, which means less expenses and less pollution since the need for travel is reduced. There are various methods for support of green transformation – to reduce exhaust gasses, especially of carbon dioxide. In the last decade, almost everyone has become aware of global warming and the challenges of climate change. Therefore, we must react quickly because tomorrow it might be too late, they emphasized from MASIT.
In the country, there are around 2 000 ICT companies who make a turnover of about I billion euros. Of them, 86 percent work for foreign companies and are export-oriented. And freelancers also work for big corporations. They have no need to travel across the world or to live in another country. Last year, the salary in the ICT sector was 1.800 euros gross, but it keeps growing on a monthly level. Due to all these advantages and enabled circumstances, as was pointed out, there is a tendency for the youth to return here, to work at foreign markets from home.
The conference will be held today and tomorrow, and is organized by the Youth Entrepreneurial Service Foundation and the Foundation for Management and Industrial Research.
According to the participants, the conference is taking place in parallel with the Glasgow Summit, where world leaders have committed to invest 12 billion euros by 2050 for destroying all energy that pollutes the world.
