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| Huawei's Chairman Liang Hua speaks at the Tech & Sustainability: Everyone's Included forum |
Huawei on Thursday (July 8th) announced its Seeds for the Future
Program 2.0, through which Huawei plans to invest US$150 million in digital
talent development over the next five years. This program is expected to
benefit more than 3 million additional people
Huawei held a "Tech & Sustainability: Everyone's
Included" forum, co-hosted by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN). Representatives from Huawei, IUCN, the World Economic Forum,
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative
(GeSI), and Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) participated to
discuss the role of technology in driving sustainability and building a more
inclusive, eco-friendly world.
Promoting equal access to
education and talent development
According to a 2020 report by UNICEF and the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), about 2.2 billion people aged 25 years or
younger still lack internet connections at home.
"Digital skills and literacy are not just the foundation for
the digital economy; they are also a basic human right defined by the United
Nations," said Huawei's Chairman Liang Hua at the forum. "Today we
are announcing Huawei's Seeds for the Future Program 2.0. As part of our
commitment to continuously developing talent, we will invest US$150 million in
this program over the next five years and help college students and young people
improve their digital skills. This program is expected to benefit more than 3
million additional people."
Huawei is committed to helping develop digital talent in the
countries where it operates. In 2008, Huawei began to roll out talent
development programs, through scholarships, technology competitions, and
digital skills training, and has invested more than US$150 million in these
programs. Huawei has since benefited more than 1.54 million people from over
150 countries.
The Seeds for the Future program is designed to inspire local
talents and encourage seeds for the society to tackle digital challenges. The
program has benefited more than 100 students in the Philippines.
As an echo for the forum, Huawei Asia Pacific held the APAC Media
Virtual Roundtable with laser focus on addressing digital inclusion and
sustainable development of this region. Jay Chen, Vice President of Huawei Asia
Pacific, announced Huawei’s plan to cultivate more than 40,000 ICT talent in
the next five years through multiple programs including Seeds for the Future in
the region.
“In the digital economy, digital talent is playing an increasingly
important role in driving digital transformation and economic growth. The
access to education is vital for creating opportunities that support
sustainable and fair development. Due to the pandemic, we are moving the
program online and opening it up to more outstanding students than ever before,”
said Jay Chen.
In Asia Pacific, Huawei has been a firm enabler for building an inclusive
talent ecosystem.Amid the pandemic, collaborations with top universities are
accelerating. Till now, Huawei has built collaborations with around 200
universities in countries across Asia Pacific and over 40 universities in the
Philippines.
Addressing environmental
challenges and enabling green development
Climate change and environmental issues are becoming global
challenges. Though carbon emissions declined over the past year due to the economic
slowdown and worldwide lockdowns, emissions are rapidly rebounding as economies
reopen. Shifting to a circular economy and achieving sustainable development is
now a common goal for all countries.
"Green and sustainable development has become a top priority for
global economies," said Liang. "Huawei has been leveraging its
extensive experience in power electronics and energy storage as well as
technical expertise in 5G, cloud, and AI, to develop its digital power business
and provide digital power solutions for different industries. As of December
2020, Huawei's digital power products and solutions have generated 325 billion
kWh of electricity from renewable sources, and saved a total of 10 billion kWh
of electricity. These efforts have resulted in a reduction of 160 million tons
in CO2 emissions."
In Singapore, for example, Huawei FusionSolar Solution has
supported Sunseap Group, a solar energy solutions provider, to build the
world's largest offshore floating Photovoltaic (PV) farms. With 13,312 solar
panels, 40 inverters, and more than 30,000 floats, this five-hectare sea-based
solar plant is estimated to produce up to 6,022,500 kWh of energy per year,
supplying enough power for 1250 four-room public housing flats on the island
and offsetting an estimated 4258 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Bruce Li,
Managing Director of the Huawei Asia-Pacific Enterprise Digital Power Business.
“By working together,
countries can mutually support one another to meet their sustainability
commitments. There are many areas where digital technology can support this,
such as in enabling a transparent and verifiable carbon market. Singapore’s
public and private sectors have expressed interest in working with its neighbors
on climate action,” said Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of SIIA at the
forum.
About Seeds for the Future
Program
Seeds for the Future is Huawei's flagship global CSR program. The
program was launched in 2008 in Thailand. This program aims to develop skilled,
local ICT talent and bridge communication between countries and cultures. By
sharing our ICT expertise and experiences in the global business environment,
young people from different countries can learn about advanced technologies in
the ICT industry and accumulate ICT expertise and skills through the Seeds for
the Future program, contributing to the progress of the global ICT industry. This
program helps develop local ICT talents, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a
greater understanding and interest in the telecommunications sector, and
improve and encourage regional building and participation in the digital
community.
