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This is How Sustainable Digitalisation Works - Bits & Bäume Book gives 28 Impulses

From artificial intelligence and the environmental impact of the digital economy to global justice: the digital transformation presents numerous challenges and risks. The book “Shaping Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Society”, which is being presented today by the Bits & Bäume network at the re:publica conference in Berlin, shows how society can become digitally sustainable. It contains 28 contributions from 68 authors hailing from civil society, research, and practical experience, discussing challenges of digitalisation and how digital politics can and must be designed for sustainabilty.

The volume congregates contributions from the Bits & Bäume community, which came together in 2022 for the second conference on digitalisation and sustainability with 2,500 participants in Berlin. The conference was jointly organized by 13 organizations from the fields of environmental protection, digital policy, development policy, and science.

Digitalisation and Sustainability: “Progress” Must be Redefined

The book showcases ways in which the vision of sustainable digitalisation can become a reality. The authors aim to redefine progress in light of the often hidden environmental and social justice impacts of current forms of digitalisation. Including illustrations and infographics, the volume is offering insights on topics such as designing artificial intelligence for sustainable transformation or conducting life cycle assessments of software.

Sustainable Tech Design: Learning from Good Practice and Sustainability

Digital tools can help neighbourhoods share regionally generated renewable electricity. Other applications are helping to transform agriculture in a social-ecological way. Using such good practice examples, the book shows how digital technologies can be made sustainable. What is more, it makes clear that civil society can be the engine of sustainable change and that politics must involve civil society actors in shaping a sustainable digital future.

Book for Beginners and Experts

The 150-page book caters to readers seeking both introductory material and in-depth knowledge. It strives to amplify the voice of civil society, ensuring their perspectives are considered in the ongoing efforts to align digitization with sustainability goals. This way, the book aims to help ensure that the voice of civil society is heard in the reorientation of digitalisation towards a sustainable future.

The publication and the Bits & Bäume conference 2022 were funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The work of Germanwatch and Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung (FIfF) in the context of the conference were supported by the Stiftung Mercator.

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About Bits & Bäume

Bits & Bäume is the largest Germany-wide civil society network at the interface between digitalisation and sustainability. It consists of 13 organizations from the fields of environmental and climate protection, digital policy, development policy, and science as well as a growing community. Bits & Bäume brings together the environmental, digital, and climate movements and puts the topic on the public and political agenda. In 2018 and 2022, the network organized the Bits & Bäume conference for digitalisation and sustainability in Berlin.

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