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Analysis report of the project “Digitalisation and sustainability at EU level: Opportunities and risks of digitalisation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at EU level” ; report 1
Autor:innen
Herausgeber
Quelle
Schlagwörter
Förderkennzeichen (FKZ)
3720 41 101 0
Forschungskennzahl
3720 41 101 0
Zitation
Wagner, J., & Lange, S. (2025). Digitalisation and sustainability in the context of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2020 (Umweltbundesamt, Ed.; Version http://purl.org/coar/version/c_be7fb7dd8ff6fe43). https://doi.org/10.60810/openumwelt-7839
Zusammenfassung deutsch
Der vorliegende Bericht analysiert die Rolle der deutschen Ratspräsidentschaft, die vom 1. Juli bis zum 31. Dezember 2020 stattfand, in Bezug auf die Themen Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit. Eine Inhaltsanalyse von Pressemitteilungen, Artikeln und Reden sowie relevanten Hintergrundberichten, die während der deutschen Ratspräsidentschaft veröffentlicht wurden, zeigt, dass sich der Diskurs über Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit um drei Nexus drehte: 1. "Nachhaltige Digitalisierung", 2. "Digitalisierung für Nachhaltigkeit" und 3. "Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit in Silos". Der Diskurs konzentrierte sich vor allem auf vier Kontexte: Umwelt, Verkehr und Mobilität, digitale Wirtschaft und wirtschaftliche Erholung. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen der Analyse werden erstens zukünftige Prioritäten in diesen analysierten Kontexten vorgeschlagen. Zweitens werden potenzielle zusätzliche künftige Prioritäten in den Bereichen Kreislaufwirtschaft, Energiesysteme, Wohnungsbau und Biodiversität erörtert. Drittens schlagen wir zusätzliche Perspektiven/Nexus vor, die für zukünftige Debatten relevant sein könnten. Abschließend wird analysiert, mit welchen politischen Strategien die Debatten über Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit verknüpft wurden und welche zusätzlichen politischen Initiativen sinnvollerweise in zukünftige Debatten miteinbezogen werden sollten.
Zusammenfassung englisch
This report analyses the role of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which took place from 1 July until 31 December 2020, concerning the topics of digitalisation and sustainability. A document analysis of press releases, articles, and speeches as well as relevant background reports published during the German Council Presidency revealed that the discourse on digitalisation and sustainability revolved around three nexuses: 1. "Sustainable digitalisation", 2. "Digitalisation for sustainability", and 3. "Digitalisation and sustainability in silos". Discussions focused primarily on four areas: environment, transport and mobility, digital economy, and recovery. Based on the results of the analysis, we first suggest future priorities in these areas. Second, additional potential future priority areas are discussed, namely circular economy, energy systems, housing, and biodiversity. Third, we propose additional perspectives that might be relevant for future debates. Finally, we analyse the interlinkages between digitalisation and sustainability within the policy documents and how additional policy frameworks can be fruitfully included in future debates.
Organisationseinheiten
Übersetzungen
Verbundene Publikation
Digital circular economy: a new perspective on digitalisation as a driver for sustainability?
(2025)
The European Green Deal states that moving from a linear to a circular economy is a key strategy to reduce resource consumption by repairing, reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling materials and products. Yet, the establishment of a circular economy in the European Union (EU) is still in an early stage. This report thus outlines how digitalisation can support the implementation of a circular economy and discusses the key role that governance for circularity can play in this context. The overall aim is to formulate recommendations for priorities for action, which the German government can link to the activities of the European Commission. The recommendations are based on an analysis of the role of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU regarding topics related to digitalisation and sustainability (REPORT 1), an expert workshop on digital circular economy (DCE) carried out in April 2022 and a literature review that deepened some of the workshop discussions. The analysis found that the potentials of a DCE are manifold and relate to improving products and business models along the entire circular value chain. Underlying these potentials is often the use of digital technologies for product tracking and monitoring as well as for a transparent digital data exchange. Further, it is argued that governance for circularity can be a key issue to empower stakeholders to move towards a DCE. Based on these findings, recommendations for EU and national policy makers are outlined to support the development of a systemic and coherent strategy for a DCE within the EU.
Digitalisation and Sustainability in the European Union: Steps towards new governance approaches for a twin transition
(German Environment Agency, 2025)
With the 'twin transition', the European Union aims to combine digitalisation and sustainability in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The research project "Digitalisation and sustainability at EU level" examined the opportunities and risks of digitalisation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The analysis showed that these two topics are often not integrated. Recommendations were developed for digital circular economy, sufficiency and environmental justice. The research findings suggest that environmental and social justice should be at the forefront of future efforts to promote a sustainable digital future.
Digitalisation, sustainability and environmental justice: Leaving no one behind in the twin transition
(2025)
This report examines the environmental justice implications of digitalisation in the EU and provides recommendations for short to medium term action. Environmental justice covers the fairness of both the decision-making process as well as the differential environmental effects of different policies. The focus here is on participation in environmental decision-making and fairness in the ICT value chain because these are areas where there has already been some progress, but where civil society actors have also identified a need for further urgent action. The issues of access to information, digital tools, and systemic change are also examined, as well as suggestions for how to better integrate a broader agenda for justice in sustainable digitalisation into the EU policy framework, going beyond incremental improvements and taking into account broader issues such as social and economic inequality.
Digital sufficiency: A new perspective on digitalisation as a driver for sustainability?
(2025)
The world is entering a digital era that changes everyday business practices and lifestyles.
Digital technologies are said to support sustainable development and create untapped potentials in many areas, for instance, by reducing energy and resource consumption. However, social and ecological drawbacks have become much more apparent where digitalisation has not lived up to its ascribed potentials. Over the past years, voices have become louder advocating for a green and digital twin transition. Similarly, the European Commission has supported the twin transition by setting it as a priority in line with the European Green Deal. This report presents project findings on how to support the twin transition through a concept of digital sufficiency. A premise of sufficiency as a guiding principle for the digital transformation is that technological innovation alone cannot solve societal problems. Unsustainable practices and behaviours must be either reduced or replaced by sustainable alternatives. The aim of this report is to support the German government’s position in EU debates and to formulate recommendations for priorities for action, which the government can link to the activities of the European Commission. This is done by drawing on an analysis of the role of the German Council Presidency in supporting the twin transition in Europe, both an online survey and an expert workshop on digital sufficiency as well as a literature analysis to deepen some of the expert discussions. Our analyses find that although digital sufficiency has potentials to bring new perspectives into existing debates, work on the concept is still in its infancy. Future work needs to frame the concept and link it to existing policy debates to make it relevant for policy. This report provides the first building block towards carrying out this work and outlines policy recommendations towards supporting the twin transition through digital sufficiency.