Dual digital transition – Digitization and climate change in developing countries

DNHN - That is the topic of the international conference on economics, law, and public management 2024 (ELG 2024) organized by the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) on July 30, attracting 104 papers from around the world.

The digitization trend is being emphasized globally, deeply affecting many fields from governance, education, healthcare, to industry and commerce. Countries are actively deploying e-government services, online learning platforms, telemedicine, and smart city projects to enhance management efficiency and improve quality of life. According to the World Economic Forum in 2022, digital solutions can reduce 20% of global emissions. Therefore, digitization truly plays an important role in supporting sustainable growth in the context of needing to accelerate action to respond to global climate change. With this twin transition approach, business leaders and policymakers can operate integrated digital transformation and sustainable development programs to direct digital tools to serve the process of achieving sustainable development goals, ensuring a stronger foundation for their organizations in the future.

According to Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh – President of UEH: This year's topic, focusing on the twin transition approach, represents some of the most important challenges and opportunities of our time. Digitization has the potential to transform the economy, enhance efficiency, and improve quality of life. At the same time, climate change demands urgent and sustainable solutions to ensure welfare for future generations.

The twin transition approach includes combining digital transformation and green transformation, which can bring great efficiency for sustainable development instead of approaching the digital factor and the sustainability factor separately. The twin transition can create a positive impact thanks to greening technology and infrastructure alongside promoting sustainability throughout the organization. In reality, although some organizations are aware of the urgency of the twin transition process, many units still face difficulties due to the lack of a consistent approach, complexity in implementation, accountability requirements, or due to conflicts between priority strategies.

Head of the ELG 2024 Organizing Committee, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Khanh Nam - Dean of the School of Economics, Law, and Public Management, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City said: "The annual ELG 2024 international conference is an important event held annually, not only creating opportunities for experts to meet and exchange ideas but also contributing practical solutions for the future of developing countries in the current twin transition context. The presentations highlighted many different viewpoints, expertise on climate change, environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and digital transformation. With many researchers from around the world participating, the annual ELG 2024 international conference hopes to enhance our understanding of the role of digitization and climate change in contemporary economic development. Participants will gain deep insights into academics and policies regarding this twin transition process, especially its impact on developing countries."

The annual ELG 2024 international conference received the participation of more than 120 papers from authors from many countries, with diverse topics including climate change, environmental sustainability, law, and digital transformation. The content of the discussions also focused on aspects such as legal frameworks, economic policies, innovations in agriculture, and technological adaptation.

Besides 3 plenary sessions, 104 papers were selected for presentation in 26 parallel discussion sessions on July 30 and 31, 2024. Notably, there were 9 discussion sessions dedicated to the field of Law and Legal Studies to highlight the important role of legal research in the twin transition context.

The parallel discussion sessions with important global topics at the conference created opportunities for researchers to expand their professional knowledge, share, and contribute academic values. At the same time, it was also an opportunity to establish relationships with experts with similar interests in the field of research.

"Through these workshops, we realized the importance of these transition processes and have integrated them into our core strategies. Our commitment to digitization is reflected in our educational programs, research initiatives, and university management. By integrating digital technologies into the curriculum, we prepare students to develop in a rapidly changing world. Our research efforts focus on applying digital tools to solve practical problems, promoting innovation in various fields," Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh added.

The prominent presentations from professors from universities in Australia, Sweden, Germany… when raising issues about AI, the legality of using AI, policies on AI reform related to adjusting and updating regulations, and practices related to artificial intelligence were discussed in-depth to ensure that this technology is used responsibly, safely, and effectively. Strategies may include applying information and communication technologies to solve environmental problems, encouraging creativity in sustainable development, and promoting recycling and energy-saving projects. The resilience of households in rural areas after climate change phenomena was also discussed, alongside proposing solutions to adapt to the increasingly popular digitization phase worldwide.

Thu Hien