Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the event held at the Istanbul Congress Center under the theme “Carbon Footprint and Sustainability in Telecommunications” as part of the MobileFest 2023 Digital Technologies Conference Program.
In the program attended by prominent figures from the communications and broadcasting sector, guests had the opportunity to witness the latest developments in the technology world, meet and connect with expert guests sharing sector knowledge and life experiences. There was intense participation in the event.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan served as the moderator of the panel featuring Turkish Telekom Deputy General Manager of Technology Yusuf Kıraç, Vodafone Turkey Executive Vice President Responsible for External Relations Hasan Süel, and Turkcell Deputy General Manager Responsible for Network Technologies Gediz Sezgin. Sayan made important statements on sustainability in the telecommunications field.
Stating that technology impacts every area of life today, Sayan spoke about the importance of sustainability in technology. Emphasizing the importance of nature-friendly solutions for the future of the world, Sayan expressed that the opportunities provided by technology should be used to protect the world and make it more livable.
We must be conscious about the use of digital tools
Sayan, who said that the harms of digital tools should not be overlooked as well as their benefits, stated, “Every email sent, every post shared turns into a footprint left on the world. The impact of the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on the climate crisis is a fact agreed upon by more than 97% of the scientific community. Our habits in the digital world cause environmental impacts.”
Being domestic and national in production is extremely important for our future
Touching upon how developments in the digital world closely concern every sector, Sayan stated that technological solutions must be integrated into business processes to gain a foothold in global competition. In this context, Deputy Minister Sayan emphasized the importance of domestic and national production; “In line with the ‘National Technology Initiative’ outlined by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we operate with the principle of developing and using ‘domestic and national’ technologies in all our works in the transport sector. Similarly, in the ‘information technologies and communications’ sector, we always keep ‘being domestic and national’ in mind in terms of infrastructure and regulation, and shape our works according to our President’s ‘New Turkey Century’ vision.” he said.
The communications and broadcasting sector is of critical importance for a more livable environment
Noting that correct and sustainable technological solutions must be selected in digital solution processes, Sayan stated, “In the world, the communications and broadcasting sector offers fundamental solution tools in economy, environmental protection and climate crisis struggle, emission reduction, and many more areas.”
In his speech, Sayan stated that institutions and companies should use renewable energy sources and systems aimed at energy efficiency in their works for a more livable world, saying, “It is expected that the carbon footprint caused by institutions' information technologies will be equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 463 million cars or 256 million homes by 2025.”
Touching upon the works that need to be done in the telecommunications sector for the health of future generations, Deputy Minister Sayan expressed that the electricity needs of the sector should be met from renewable sources at this point. Sayan concluded his speech by saying, “Telecommunications and sustainability concepts basically intersect at two points. The first is to reduce energy consumption and obtain energy to the maximum extent from renewable sources, and the second is to minimize energy consumption and carbon footprint in every area of the economy with smart solutions such as smart factories, smart cities, smart homes.”