Digitalization for Sustainability: Science in Dialogue

Research on digitalisation and its manifold implications for social justice and environmental integrity has been gaining momentum in recent years. Various studies have shown that current forms of digitalisation tend to accelerate economic and social inequalities while environmental costs outweigh environmental benefits. Hence, the need for societal and political action to reshape digitalisation is becoming increasingly clear. But what are core elements of a sustainable digitalisation that contribute to deep sustainability transformations, and how can these be implemented?

The European research network “Digitalization for Sustainability: Science in Dialogue“ addresses these questions by co-creating interdisciplinary approaches towards a sustainable global future in the face of the rapid development of digital technologies and applications. The Expert Panel consists of researchers from European academia, think tanks and civil society organisations from different scientific disciplines and diverse thematic and national backgrounds.

The dialogue aims at integrating various topics regarding digitalisation/ICT (e.g., data governance, platform economics, surveillance/privacy, AI) with topics regarding sustainability transformations (inter- and intranational justice, sectoral transitions in energy, mobility and agriculture, sustainable production & consumption) in order to synthesize these into an integrated, comprehensive analysis of prospects, risks, governance options and policy solutions for a sustainable digitalization. The project will result in a series of policy and academic papers that develop both system knowledge derived from the interdisciplinary analysis and hands-on policy proposals focusing on how digitalisation should be configured such that it enhances sustainability transformations.