Produce less and better, design and consume differently, It is clear that we will not be able to achieve the objective of the Paris Agreement, i.e. to limit global warming to +1.5°C, if most of the world’s energy consumption continues to come from fossil fuels.
We asked Dominique Bourg, philosopher, specialist in environmental issues and honorary professor at the University of Lausanne, to take part in the preparation of our new white paper – “Digital technology and sustainable development, shaping industry’s future”. In view of the climate emergency, he shares his views on the urgent need to make other social, societal and political choices.
Industrial emergency or societal emergency?
Dominique Bourg calls for greater and more widespread awareness. “If we don’t move on from our current economic model, we’ll be headed for widespread chaos”, says D. Bourg. The tone is set. The statement is unambiguous. And he adds: “The IPCC has the power of knowledge, but nothing will change if there’s no political will and people don’t buy into it.”
Although there is still a long way to go, it is clear that many companies are looking for solutions and implementing genuine sustainable development strategies. “Yet many companies are engaged in real efforts to transform. But they can’t bear the burden on their own”, explains Dominique Bourg. “We have to make major social and societal choices, which have much more to do with public policies than industry commitment or strategy alone.”
New regulations and pressure from consumers/citizens are forcing industry to take up these issues and rethink its business models. To find the right balance between sustainable production to reduce environmental impact and sustainable growth, there are still many technological avenues to explore with the contribution of digital solutions, if they are used wisely.
