A Keynote Speech at the conference - GX and DX at North!

Prof. Kamrul Hossain gave a keynote speech at the conference entitled “GX and DX at North.” GX refers to green transition, and DX indicates digital transition. Hokkaido University in Japan organized the conference in collaboration with multiple other organizations, including Aalto University and VTT in Finland and several local public and private organizations in Japan. The whole concept of the conference was to understand, learn, explore solutions and share experiences and best practices toward the move to meaningful and effective green transition and digital transition process. The conference engaged academia and stakeholders from several sectors, e.g., business and industry, urban planners, public authorities, etc. The primary highlights were the expansion of renewable energy production and ensuring its efficient usage. Establishing data centers in cold regions, such as in Hokkaido, and transforming heat from their functioning into energy and its supply suggested an example of efficiency. In addition, on the agenda was an investment in onshore and offshore wind power production and their expansion, creating more solar power capacity and facilities for producing clean energy from biomass. The multidisciplinary nature of the conference helped facilitate the interactions among participants with backgrounds in natural sciences, engineering, and social and human sciences. Prof. Hossain spoke on the implication of green transition on locals, particularly the Indigenous peoples of the North, with reference to the Nordic. According to him, while the whole idea of green shift is well-intentioned and for the greater benefit of humanity and the planet as a whole, often burdens are placed on people and communities who do not have any contribution to climatic pollution but who are nevertheless the victims even when the solutions to climate change are brought into play, developing cleaner energy production being an example. Prof. Hossain discussed some cases of wind energy production in the Nordic northern region on Sámi lands, causing conflicts over maintaining reindeer herding. The herding practice is a subsistence activity that the Indigenous Sámi have traditionally been performing since time immemorial, which has become endemic to Sámi identity. Therefore, mitigating harm to the Sámi's right to maintain their unique culture and identity and climate action must be considered together, not in isolation as a separate agenda.