A successful path leads to sustainable technology

People living in the digital era observe increasing evidence of how technological advancement works in contradictory ways. Our modern world has achieved exceptional development through technology but simultaneous concerns about environmental damage have emerged. The intense requirement for sustainable approaches in technology development reaches its most important stage. Our current position regarding climate threat demands the framework of "Digital Responsibility" to protect the digital era's promise with sustainable practices.

Every company needs to understand how digital technologies affect the environment

Digital technologies create multiple emissions throughout their operational life cycle. All elements related to energy usage in data centers together with device lifecycles and electronic waste problems fall under this concept. Information and communications technology (ICT) stands responsible for about 4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions as predicted by the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and this figure will increase due to rising digital consumption rates.

Energy Consumption and Data Centers

Data centers operating as the basis for cloud computing infrastructure serve as essential centers to provide digital services to users. The facilities receive wide criticism due to their enormous energy usage. The International Energy Agency (IEA) documented that data centers expended 200 terawatt-hours (TWh) in electricity usage during 2020 and this quantity equates to the entire Dutch national energy consumption throughout that year. New analysis needs to determine effective methods for lowering the energy usage in these facilities as cloud service demand keeps growing.

E-Waste Crisis

Rapid technological progress resulted in an enormous surge of electronic waste (e-waste) quantities. According to the United Nations worldwide e-waste production equals 50 million metric tons annually while projections forecast this total will grow 21% during the next five years. E-waste materials include unsafe materials including lead and mercury as well as cadmium that endanger both environmental systems and human health unless handled with professional disposal methods. E-waste indicates how essential it is to establish sustainable strategies for electronic devices during their entire life cycle.

The Role of the Circular Economy in Sustainable Technology

Addressing the urgent environmental issues related to digital technology can be successfully handled by implementing the circular economy model. A circular economic approach functions as a different economic framework that stresses material conservation through maintaining products for future use and conducting proper material recol