Greening IT event: Europe’s way to an environmentally sustainable information society

Belgrade, Serbia -- Individual activists and organisations are invited to join an online discussion on the potential of information technology for environmental sustainability. APC, the global civil society network promoting information technology for social change, BlueLink Bulgaria, and Ekoforum Serbia will produce a live online talk show from Belgrade in partnership with the UNECE Aarhus Convention Secretariat. Streamed over the internet via APC’s global network of members, people from around the world will be able to watch this interactive broadcast on the relationship between environmental sustainability and information technology (IT). During the event, representatives from civil society, government and business will share success stories and lessons learned, and engage in dialogue about how to bridge the paradigm and policy gap between IT and environmental stewardship.

The talk show contributes to the overarching purpose of the Information Technology for Environmental Sustainability (ITES) initiative to bridge environmental sustainability and information society policy goals. It also aims to make successful, environmentally-strategic IT practices developed in the UNECE region known throughout the world. This cross-cutting event is relevant to the “Environment for Europe” agenda – in particular, to item 5(b) on Southeastern European perspectives on capacity-building and item 6(b) on sustainable consumption and production through partnerships in environmental policy implementation. Participants APC members, national IT agencies and environment ministries, environmental and ICT civil society organisations, donors, and international organisations, businesses, media representatives, as well as individual bloggers and environmental activists will participate in the talk show.

Details, including video streams, last minute updates and archives, will be posted on www.apc.org/greeningit

Participants
Those invited to participate in the discussion include:

• Irina Sukhy, Environmental Activist, Association Eco Home, Belarus.
  
• Jeremy Wates, Secretary, Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
  
• Jerome Simpson, Head, Information Programme, REC, Hungary.
  
• Maxigas, Cyber activist, http://indy.media.hu, and Green Spider NGOs’ network, Hungary.
  
• Mihajlo Maricic, Co-founder, www.ekoforum.org.yu, environmental news portal, Serbia.
  
• Milena Bokova, Executive Director, www.bluelink.net, Bulgaria.
  
• Stephanie Roth, Campaigner, www.rosiamontana.org, winner of Goldman Environment Award, Romania.
• Stefania Simion, Lawyer, www.rosiamontana.org, Romania.
• Ward Miller, Marketing Manager, Telelink AD / Am Cham, Bulgaria.
  
• Willem Tjebbe Oostenbrink, International Coordinator, DLG Government Service for Land and Water Management. Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Netherlands, founder and inspirer of e-environmental NGO networks in South Eastern Europe and the NIS.
• Steven S. Ross, Editor-in-Chief, Broadband Properties, former IT for environmental reporting professor at the School of Journalism, Columbia University, NY, USA.