{"id":1986,"date":"2020-12-14T09:16:44","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T09:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/?p=1986"},"modified":"2023-09-28T16:42:03","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T14:42:03","slug":"how-can-digital-support-a-sustainable-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/choose-to-lead\/how-can-digital-support-a-sustainable-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"How can digital support a sustainable economy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Digital technologies are not at all ecological in themselves,”<\/a> rightly asserts Victor Petit in the Regional and Urban Business Review (2017). Therefore, is there not something paradoxical in associating digital technologies and the sustainable economy? To overcome this paradox, we must return to the essence of digital: it is only a means, a tool.<\/strong> We can choose not to be subjected to its potential threats, but we can, and even must, seize the opportunity it represents to respond to the social and ecological challenges we face. The fight against food waste is a perfect example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Digital and Sustainable Economies: an antithesis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In its manifesto, the WWF defines the sustainable economy as: “one that is resilient and provides a good quality of life for everyone. It stays within the limits of the planet<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the explosion of ICT (information and communication technologies) since the beginning of the “Third Industrial Revolution” (J. Rifkin)<\/a> is undeniably accompanied by harmful social and environmental effects. The uberization or even destruction of certain jobs, over and fast consumption motivated by online business, an increase in waste and greenhouse gas emissions linked to digital tools that are not very recyclable and energy consuming… all this seems to make it difficult for the digital and sustainable economies to meet. How can we overcome this paradox?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sustainable Economy gives a goal to digitalization.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Transitions\u00b2<\/a>, researcher Daniel Kaplan suggests a way out of this paradox: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Digital proposes a path to ecological transition, which proposes a goal for digital transition. <\/p>\nDaniel Kaplan<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This takes on its full meaning regarding the etymology of the word “digital”, which comes from the Latin digitalis, meaning “as thick as a finger”. Like the finger of a hand, the digital is a tool at our disposal. And its potentialities are immense. Therefore, why not put it at the service of a sustainable economy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital is an essential ally of social entrepreneurs.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social entrepreneurs have already understood the potential of digitalization.<\/mark> It accelerates the collaborative economy: shared mobilities (Getaround, ex-Drivy<\/a>), home help (Lulu in my street<\/a>), dematerialized donations (microDON<\/a>), distance learning and training (Time2start<\/a>). Digital technology is also associated with high-tech applications: Big Data to assess the impacts of climate change or calculate the carbon footprint of economic players, cryptocurrency to encourage the creation of renewable energies, drones to help farmers better map their plots of land and assess their real water needs… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It would be too long to cite all the initiatives led by social entrepreneurs that are emerging and have made it their mission to use digital to respond to the ecological and social challenges we are facing. This is also the mission of our startup CodaBene<\/a>, which has been acquired by Too Good To Go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if we could effectively fight against food waste thanks to mobile applications?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n