Shaping a Just and Sustainable Digital Future: Insights, Pathways, and Global Collaboration
Whilst CODES has developed a comprehensive framework for a sustainable planet in the digital age and is engaged in connecting relevant policy arenas, much work remains to be done to ensure future proof policies are guiding the digital transition and developed through inclusive, bottom-up processes. During the past year, Konnektiv, SUPERRR Lab and Green Web Foundation collaborated with the German Environment Agency (UBA) to produce additional research and support with concept development for CODES. The project's aim was to examine what is currently happening at the intersection of digitalization and sustainability on a global governance level, to discuss how debates can be centered around a just transformation for people and planet and what possible implementation pathways could be taken with new partners internationally and in Germany. Four products were created in he project, which are presented below.
1. Policy Paper: Towards a Just and Sustainable Digital Transformation for People and the Planet
The impact of both digital technologies and the planetary crises is not shared equally across the world. Marginalized communities are most affected by both the digital divide and the planetary crises and lack decision-making power within global governance bodies. This policy paper discusses the need for a just and sustainable digital transformation within global governance and examines what is currently happening at the intersection of digitalization and sustainability on a global governance level. Various policy arenas focus on either digital transformation or sustainability, but only a few look at these issues together, and even fewer with a focus on equity and justice. The paper maps these efforts and identifies three policy fields and arenas that could be amenable to CODES’ mission, Sustainable Development (UNCTAD & UNDP), Science and Culture (ISC & UNESCO) and Labour and Shifting Economic Patterns (ITC, World Bank and ILO).
CODES et al_2024_Just and Sustainable_1 Policy Paper
2. Implementation Pathways Towards a Just and Sustainable Digital Transformation for People and the Planet
Building on the research conducted for the paper “Towards a Just and Sustainable Digital Transformation for People and the Planet” fifteen implementation pathways were designed offering a wide array of implementable action points for the CODES Community and other interested actors. The implementation pathways connect to different transnational and international policy areas. They identify leverage points, the most important relevant stakeholders and recommendations for future engagement including suggestions on where the narrative needs changing, for instance in regards to including sustainability as a dimension in the ethical AI discourse. Some of the pathways connect the dots between actors, topics or policy areas, like setting global emission reduction targets for digital services, and others suggest elevating new voices to have a say in policy arenas such as the climate action hubs. The pathways are intended as conversation starters and are an invitation to connect with CODES and the actors involved in the CODES community.
CODES et al_2024_Just and Sustainable_2 Pathways
3. Contributions to a Framework Approach for Sustainable Digital Infrastructures
The third paper produced as part of the project is a contribution to the CODES Impact Initiative 5. Sustainable Digital Infrastructure. The aim of Impact Initiative 5 is to create an international science-based framework to enable standardization and harmonization of sustainable procurement principles and green digital infrastructure criteria across governments, corporations and other stakeholders. The paper discusses current technological and policy developments as well as potential leverage points for a framework approach for sustainable data centers and hardware.
CODES et al_2024_Just and Sustainable_3 Sustainable Digital Infrastructures
4. German Impulses for a Fair and Sustainable Digital Transformation
The aim of the final paper is to present practical, implementable solutions based on previous normative approaches and to provide ideas for German impulses in world politics. As the results of the previous research in this project have shown, there are hardly any nations in the global scope of action that are coherently thinking about a fair and sustainable digital transformation. Germany can seize this political window of opportunity to take a pioneering role both internationally and transnationally for a fair and sustainable digital transformation.
CODES et al_2024_Just and Sustainable_4 Impulses Germany
We hope these publications will provide a valuable contribution to the current discourse and resources for other stakeholders. We look forward to continuing debates and further developing the ideas put forth in these papers.
