Digital technologies are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is the main message of a call-to-action entitled the ‘Beijing Declaration on Partnership for Accelerating Sustainable Development through Digital Technologies’.
This call-to-action was supported by representatives of nations, organizations, and stakeholders, together with 700 participants at the 4th International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2024). The event, which took place in Beijing, China, on 6–8 September 2024, was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and organized by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS). CBAS is led by Director General Guo Huadong, who is also a TWAS Fellow.
Data and the SDGs
Starting from 2021, FBAS has become a premier annual international gathering that draws thousands of participants from around the world. The key objective of FBAS, and of CBAS more broadly, is to help mobilize the international community to more effectively harness the power of emerging digital sciences to address the complex and interwoven challenges facing sustainable development.
“Data is essential for achieving sustainability, particularly in the developing world,” said Guo. “For the current SDGs, with their 17 goals, 169 targets, and over 230 indicators, accurate, openly accessible, and timely data is crucial for monitoring progress, guiding decision-making, and ensuring efficient resource allocation. In many developing countries, the lack of reliable data hampers their ability to make informed decisions and to design effective policies.”
As the world becomes increasingly digital, the ability to collect and analyze Big Earth Data has expanded significantly, according to Guo. These technologies provide valuable insights into Earth systems, enabling countries to monitor and address challenges related to essentially all of the SDGs, but especially to SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG14 (Life Below Water), and SDG15 (Life on Land). He says that, by leveraging Big Earth Data, nations can track environmental changes, manage natural resources, and improve resilience to climate impacts.
The volume of data worldwide is increasing exponentially, reaching a quantity so vast that grasping the true meaning of it is difficult. The United Nations reported that the world's capacity for storing information has roughly doubled every 40 months since the 1980s to accommodate humanity’s ever-growing data needs. In 2020, 64.2 zettabytes of data were created, representing a 314% increase from 2015. One zettabyte is equal to a trillion gigabytes, and, as explained in a blog post by the software development company Cisco, “if each gigabyte in a zettabyte were a brick, 258 Great Walls of China (each made of 3,873,000,000 bricks) could be built.”
This growth stems from the ever-increasing number of inexpensive, information-sensing mobile devices, such as smartphones, which are now commonplace. Additionally, data produced and studied by researchers around the world is also growing rapidly. Today, Big Earth Data has emerged as a crucial tool, encompassing data from various sources, including satellite remote sensing technologies, statistical surveys, the Internet, and basic geographic information.
The Beijing Declaration: A collective commitment to foster collaboration
The Beijing Declaration stresses that accelerating progress towards sustainable development “requires a multifaceted approach" and represents a collective commitment to achieving the SDGs through transformative digital solutions and global collaboration.
“It calls for a global effort to harness digital technologies and Big Earth Data, particularly in the global South, where digital resources and reliable data are often scarce,” said Guo. “It emphasizes the need to co-develop digital infrastructure and open AI tools to help developing nations generate and utilize high-quality data to address challenges such as climate change, environmental protection, and disaster resilience.”
The SDGs aim to leave no one behind, Guo added, emphasizing the need for all regions to have the capacity for informed decision-making. CBAS plays a crucial role in working with developing countries to generate resources and technologies that can be shared across national boundaries, helping us all tackle challenges and foster sustainable growth.
Guo noted that the Beijing Declaration focuses on capacity building, including promoting innovation in education and training programs to empower future generations. It also highlights the need to deepen partnerships across governments, academia, private sectors, and civil society to scale digital solutions for achieving the 2030 Agenda. Moreover, the Declaration aims to develop open digital tools and infrastructure, and start large-scale science projects using digital technology. It also focuses on using space technology to support sustainable development, and ensuring that scientific advancements are accessible to and benefit everyone.
“TWAS has enormously powerful roles to play in advancing digital transformations and scientific capacity worldwide, particularly in the global South. Of course, TWAS can build on its global networks of Fellows and Young Affiliates, and on its comprehensive training programs,” said Guo.
Through initiatives such as research grants, fellowships, and science diplomacy courses, TWAS equips scientists with the skills needed to adopt data-driven decision-making and digital technologies—critical tools for advancing the SDGs. By empowering scientists, emphasized Guo, TWAS ensures that countries in the global South can effectively leverage Big Earth Data and other digital resources for sustainable development. For developing countries, the Declaration provides both the motivation and the opportunities to overcome obstacles such as limited infrastructure and data shortages.
“As we approach the 2030 SDG deadline, TWAS’s work ensures that countries in the global South remain committed to the development process, building resilient and sustainable systems,” Guo explained. “Through digital transformation and scientific capacity building, TWAS is helping to shape a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”
Guo concludes: “Sustainability is a shared global responsibility, and the Beijing Declaration calls for collective action to accelerate progress toward the SDGs. It emphasizes education, skill-building, space technology, and inclusive science for all.”
Discussions on how to implement the Declaration will be central to the upcoming International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2025), which will take place from 6-8 September 2025 in Beijing, China.
Giovanni Ortolani