PLENARY: Harnessing Digital Innovation for Sustainable Futures

Context 

In the Information Age, digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and Earth observation are transforming the pursuit of sustainability. These tools hold immense potential to optimize resource management, enhance environmental monitoring, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.

Although digital innovation is increasingly woven into everyday work, science, and research, the absence of a common global framework for its responsible use raises urgent questions of ethics, accountability, and equity, leaving digital tools at risk of reinforcing inequalities, perpetuating biases, and undermining trust in science and policy.

This plenary will explore how digital innovation can accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while also examining the governance structures needed to align technology with societal well-being. The session will highlight the importance of policy frameworks that ensure responsible data stewardship, equitable access, and ethical AI deployment. By bringing together experts from science, policy, and technology, the discussion will illuminate opportunities and challenges at the intersection of digital innovation and sustainability, and chart pathways toward inclusive, accountable, and globally coherent governance.

Key Questions

●     In the absence of a global framework, how can policymakers and scientists co-develop governance structures that ensure responsible digital innovation for sustainability?

●     What role can Africa and other regions play in shaping inclusive global governance frameworks that reflect local realities and avoid reinforcing existing power imbalances?

●     How can we ensure responsible governance of data to advance sustainability goals while safeguarding privacy and security and what strategies can close the digital divide and guarantee equitable access to digital tools essential for sustainable development?

●     In what ways can AI, machine learning, and Earth observation be leveraged to combat climate change and build resilience and how can scientists, policymakers, and technology developers co-create governance models that reflect diverse perspectives and prevent fragmented or siloed approaches?

Expected Outcomes

●     Innovation Showcase: A platform to highlight cutting-edge digital solutions—AI applications, Earth observation tools, and smart infrastructure models—that advance climate adaptation, resilience, and sustainability.

●     Commitment to Action: A collective pledge from participants to promote responsible digital innovation, including concrete steps to strengthen governance, close the digital divide, and embed ethical safeguards in sustainability-focused technologies.

●     Policy Roadmap: A shared reflection on the need for coherent global and regional policy frameworks to guide the responsible use of digital technologies in sustainability science and practice.

Plenary Format

●     Keynote Address (10–15 minutes): Setting the context for science-policy engagement.

●     Panel Discussion: Exploring diverse perspectives from policymakers, scientists, and institutional leaders