Digitalisation has a major impact on the environment, society and the economy. It can add to the burden on the climate or it can open up opportunities for more sustainability. We have the information on the risks of digitalisation and point out its potential to solve environmental problems. The one crucial question to be answered: How can the development and application of digital technologies be considered and shaped together with the development towards sustainability?
The German Environment Agency (UBA) recommends measures to increase the lifespan of technological devices and gives advice on how consumers can protect themselves.
The European consumer protection network, with the first-ever participation of the German Environment Agency, revealed manipulative practices on 148 out of 399 online shops it screened.
The Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) aims to help reorient and prioritize the application of digital technologies to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste.
How can the immense potential of digitalisation be tapped for the benefit of all without consuming excessive resources and energy? These and other questions were discussed by over 150 international experts with the support of the German Environment Agency (UBA) at the virtual conference of the Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) on 30 June and 1 July 2021.
Personalised advertisement, instant delivery, virtual shopping assistants and contactless payment show that consumption and digitalisation have become closely linked. A new report from the German Environment Agency (UBA) says it is not yet known whether this link will lead to greater pollution. The current analysis is that digitalisation offers good opportunities to use resources more efficiently.
