The raw materials in our devices, the energy required to produce them, the electricity required for use—our digital world is leading to an enormous consumption of resources. The global AI hype is exacerbating the problem even further, as is impressively demonstrated by the race for energy sources for data centres. According to various calculations, CO2 emissions from digitalisation are already roughly on par with those of the aviation industry—and the trend is rising rapidly.
Meanwhile, the consequences of unchecked climate change grow more tangible with each new heat record, forest fire and extreme weather event.
Clearly, effective measures are needed beyond energy, building and transport sectors. Our demand for energy and resources for digitalisation must also be drastically reduced. However, there have been few regulations in this area to date and sustainable digital alternatives have hardly played a role.
But a different future could be possible. Our knowledge of possible levers for energy- and resource-saving technologies is expanding. And while tech giants Google, Amazon, Meta and the like are impacting digitalisation with their own ideas of what is ethical, smaller players are working on innovative, sustainable digital products. With RESET’s new project, Green Digital Futures – How to
Develop our Digital World Sustainably, we aim to spotlight these changemakers.
Over the next few months, we’ll be presenting key findings and exciting solutions in interviews, best-practice examples, background articles and podcast episodes. We will visit and network with players who have already set out to shape sustainable digitalisation.
Sustainable digitalisation – Our key questions:
- Sustainable Data Centres and Digital Infrastructure: How can data centres and digital infrastructures become climate-neutral?
- Resource-Efficient Product Design: What do sustainable smartphones, laptops and the like look like?
- Circular Hardware: How can our devices be made to last?
- Resource-Efficient Software: How can software, websites and services become more energy-efficient?
- AI for the Common Good: How do the two work together?
- Climate-Friendly Blockchain: Can the technology also save energy?
- Business for a Better Future: What do new platforms and services look like?
- Fair and Transparent Data: How can data serve the common good?
Digitalisation can only add real value to sustainable development and society if it is shaped in an ecological and fair way. This requires both optimising existing systems and exploring entirely new approaches. Our project provides concrete starting points, all the way from information to action. Keep an eye on RESET.org for new findings every week!
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