A collective effort: The CODES Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age (EN)
10-02, 12:20–13:20 (Europe/Berlin), C++
Language: English

Die transnationale Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) hat für den UN-Generalsekretär einen Action Plan mit Umsetzungsinitiativen für #digitalsustainability kokreativ erarbeitet. Und 2023 soll ein UN Global Digital Compact verabschiedet werden. Was sind die wichtigen Hebel & Foren um Digitalisierung global als positive Kraft für die Nachhaltigkeitstransformation zu gestalten

The transnational Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) has co-created an action plan with Impact Initiatives for #digitalsustainability for the UN Secretary-General. And a UN Global Digital Compact is to be adopted in 2023. What are the important levers & forums to shape digitization globally as a positive force for sustainability transformation?


(Re)directing digital change towards our sustainability goals needs collective action by a broad range of state & non-state actor coalitions worldwide. The multi-stakeholder Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) uses its mandate by the UN secretary general to call for three urgent shifts: 1) to enable alignment of digitalization with sustainable development, 2) to mitigate negative impacts with sustainable digitalization and 3) to accelerate (digital) innovations for our sustainability goals. With 9 impact initiatives, CODES tries to stimulate concrete catalytic change and to increase awareness towards the 2023 UN Global Digital Compact.

At Bits & Bäume 2022 we want to contribute to an urgent dialogue on the global levers & fora for change. In an introductory part we introduce the CODES Action Plan and the international momentum of the Global Digital Compact. Then we start a conversation on implementation, strengthening the global-local connection and civil society engagement. We integrate a small set of speakers from CODES, GIZ and UBA with an international perspective to get the discussion started.

  • Together for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age: the CODES Endeavour and its Ambition (Marcel Dorsch, CODES)
  • Digital Transformation and Climate – Enabling a Twin Transition: International Activities of GIZ Sector Programme „Digital Development“ (Bjorn-Soren Gigler, GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
  • UBA’s Contributions for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age (Christian Löwe, UBA - German Environmental Agency)

CODES is an open community of around 1000 individuals and organizations. It is co-organized by Future Earth, the German Environment Agency (UBA), the International Science Council, the Kenyan Environmental Ministry, UNDP, UNEP and Sustainability in the Digital Age. The CODES Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age was developed in a co-creative process and officially presented at Stockholm+50 in June 2022. You can join here: www.sparkblue.org/CODES

See also: CODES Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age (6.7 MB)

Working on Digital Change and Sustainability Transformation, Co-Facilitator and Co-Author "CODES Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age"; Co-Author WBGU Flagship Report "Towards Our Common Digital Future"; PhD global sustainability governance.

Christian Löwe (Jahrgang 1965, Diplom-Forstwirt Univ.) ist seit 1993 wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Umweltbundesamt, aktuell im Fachgebiet Z 2.3 „Digitalisierung und Umweltschutz, E-Government“. Seine Arbeitsschwerpunkte sind Digitalisierung im Kontext der angewandten sozial- / kulturwissenschaftlichen Umweltforschung, sozial-ökologische Transformationen, soziale Innovationen und digitale Kultur für Nachhaltigkeit. Darüber hinaus koordiniert er die fachlichen Beiträge des UBA bei der Erstellung und Umsetzung der Umweltpolitischen Digitalagenda des BMU. Er ist Mit-Initiator der 2021 konstituierten Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES).

Since 1993, Christian Löwe is a research and policy officer at the German Environment Agency, actual in the section Z 2.3 Digitalization and Environment Protection, E-Government. His activities focus on digitalization in the context of socio-ecological research, social innovation and digital culture for sustainability. He also coordinates the contribution of the German Environment Agency to the development and implementation of the Digital Agenda of the Federal Environment Ministry. He is one of the Initiator of the established Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) in 2021.

Björn-Sören Gigler is the Head of the Digital and Green Transformation and Data Ecomomy Programs at the GIZ. Previously, he was Senior Digital Innovation Specialist at the Digital Innovation and Blockchain Unit in DG Connect in the European Commission and Senior Innovation & Digital Economy Policy Advisor at the European Investment Bank (2016-18) providing advice on enhancing access to finance for disruptive technologies investment programs.

From 1997-2016, Sören Gigler worked at the World Bank as Innovation Program Coordinator, Senior Governance Specialist and Economist. He was Visiting Associate Professor for Political Economy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (2005-2016).

Mr. Gigler holds a Ph.D. in International Development from the London School of Economics, He is the author of Development as Freedom in a Digital Age (World Bank 2015) and editor Closing the Feedback Loop: Can Technology address the Accountability Gap?’ books and has published over 20 articles on sustianaable digital development, digital innovations, information poverty, ICT for development and open government.