Seminar #8. ‘Aligning Digitalisation and Sustainability: The Role of Governance‘.

When	Monday 14 June, 2021, 13:00–14:30 (Central European Summer Time) on zoom (https://liu-se.zoom.us/j/9824188534)
Presenters	Daria Gritsenko (Assistant professor | Helsinki Center for Digital Humanities, University of Helsinki, Finland).
Discussant	Robert Krimmer (Professor | University of Tartu, Estonia)
Abstract	In order to survive and thrive, contemporary societies need to prioritise human development in harmony with the environment. Fundamental changes that can ensure our well-being within planetary boundaries are referred to as sustainability transition. Digitalisation holds potential to help us with challenges of sustainability transition by, among other things, improving efficiency of economy and government, fostering decarbonisation, and connecting people and ideas at an unprecedented scale. At the same time, we witness adverse effects of digital technology on individuals, such as the loneliness epidemic, institutions, in particular attack on democracy, and natural resources, such as irresponsible depletion of rare earth metals. To minimize such harmful effects and harness the potential of digitalisation, we need political intentions and collective action that bring sustainability to the forefront.
Questions	The question arises in this regard: What kind of governance can align digital technological disruption with sustainability transition challenges?  What can we learn from environmental governance theory to steer ‘sustainable digitalisation’ and which digital challenges are truly novel and unique?
Recommended texts	Gossen, Maike, Friederike Rohde and Tilman Santarius. “A Marriage Story of Digitalisation and Sustainability?” Ökologisches Wirtschaften Online-Ausgabe O1.2021 (36) | DOI 10.14512/OEWO36014 Feroz, A.K.; Zo,H.; Chiravuri, A. “Digital Transformation and Environmental Sustainability: A Review and Research Agenda.” Sustainability 2021, 13, 1530. https:// doi.org/10.3390/su13031530