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.
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