ICT and Sustainable Development

Two forces will fundamentally shape the twenty first century - the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the drive for sustainable development. SustainIT, an independent centre, is concerned with the inter-relationship of these forces.

ICT can support sustainability in many ways. It can create jobs, and the wealth needed to provide a higher quality of life. It can make information more widely available and overcome the isolation of remote regions or disadvantaged social groups. It can reduce wastage through finer control of equipment and systems and substitute electronic for physical processes - as when video conferencing substitutes for travel to meetings.

But will the increasingly ICT-dependent economy be a better economy? There is growing concern about a 'digital divide' between those who are 'connected' and the rest of society.

Even if the majority is benefiting, many are wondering about the effects of electronic lifestyles on personal relationships, communities and social values. ICT equipment also requires large quantities of materials and energy to operate whilst many of the messages which flow across it ultimately translate into movements of people and/or goods. And if ICT makes it much easier to tailor goods and services to our precise requirements will this satiate or fuel our consumption? Will more energy, materials and transport be required or less? These are some of the vital questions that SustainIT seeks to answer.

Click here to learn more about SustainIT.