In 2018, TIV joined government, technology and climate change experts from Europe, Latin American and the Caribbean to discuss the role of technology in combatting climate change. The workshop featured prominent leaders from the private and public sectors in an effort to brainstorm innovative solutions towards the environmental challenges facing our generation. The spectrum of topics ranged from how to conduct ecologically conscious government modernization, to the capture of greenhouse gas emission reductions using a digital approach. As part of the discussion, TIV presented the role of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies and leveraging information communications technology (ICT) to combat client change.
TIV laid out the key challenges of digitization (e.g. weak human & institutional capacity, cost, antiquated e-government systems) and identified the potential of digital technologies (including smart agriculture and cities, the use of big data and machine learning), and knowledge sharing. At the panel’s conclusion, the prospects of a joint working paper were discussed, and a review meeting was conducted on TIV’s work, titled “A review of existing best practices in the use of digitization to address climate change, and recommendations.” This study, a proprietary product of the IADB, was commissioned to help shape IADB’s thinking on the topic and inform lending and TA products.