Digitalization

Digitalization

Digitalization simultaneously benefits and harms the natural environment. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a powerful enabler of decarbonizing the economy and increasing resource efficiency by upping the pace of technical innovation. On the other hand, digital technology itself uses significant energy and material resources while its ability to drive down costs and overcome geographic distances contributes to higher levels of consumption.

Helping to shape the net impact of these contrasting effects on sustainability is a central objective of Ecologic Institute's work on digitalization. Some existing environmental policies are highly transferable to the topic. Other issues, however, relate to digitalization's novel and unique attributes, requiring fresh approaches and the inclusion of new kinds of expertise and partnerships at the institute.

Ecologic Institute has a long tradition of considering societal capabilities and the need for good governance as foundational requirements for sustainability. With this background, the institute addresses some of the most profound challenges related to digitalization in recent years: its effects on civil society, social cohesion, and governance models.

Contact

Bioeconomy

Digitalization

International Development

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

Industry

Gerardo Anzaldúa
Senior Fellow

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Trade

Evaluation

Economics

Finance

Indicators

Digitalization

Health

Aaron Best
Coordinator Digitalization and AI
Senior Fellow

Water

International Development

Digitalization

Governance

Adaptation

Cities

Benedict Bueb
Coordinator Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Fellow

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Energy

Climate

Digitalization

Education

Plastics

Dr. Stephan Sina
Senior Fellow
Coordinating In-house Counsel

Water

Adaptation

Evaluation

Digitalization

Education

Plastics

Indicators

Governance

Dr. Ulf Stein
Coordinator Water Studies
Senior Fellow
Selected Projects for Digitalization

Energy transition and infrastructures

ProjectTransformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructures (TRAFIS II)
 
| © Ecologic Institut
Infrastructure systems are undergoing a process of profound transformation. They are under great pressure to change in order to contribute to changing social objectives. Expectations and challenges with regard to climate adaptation and climate protection, the circular... Read more

Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructures (TRAFIS II)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectAccompanying Projects: Smart Energy Showcases – Digital Agenda for the Energy Transition (SINTEG)
 
In the research programme "Smart Energy Showcases – Digital Agenda for the Energy Transition" (SINTEG), over 300 research institutions and companies in five model regions are developing new solutions for a completely renewable energy system. Ecologic Institute is part... Read more

Accompanying Projects: Smart Energy Showcases – Digital Agenda for the Energy Transition (SINTEG)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectGreen Finance – Strategies and Instruments for the Financing of Ecological Modernization
 
| © Fotolia Corgarashu
The transition towards a "Green Economy" requires investment and adequate funding. But what exactly are the financing requirements of a green transformation in the areas of energy and energy storage, energy efficiency, mobility, material efficiency, recycling,... Read more

Green Finance – Strategies and Instruments for the Financing of Ecological Modernization

Duration
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Funding
ProjectCoal Exit in Germany
 
| Fotolia © Andreas F
Lignite and hard coal is still Germany's most important energy source for power generation. Yet, Germany's climate policy goals can only be achieved if coal-firing decreases and is phased out completely in the long-term. To date, the "when and how" of this coal exit... Read more

Coal Exit in Germany

Duration
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Funding
ProjectOld Energy World – New Energy World: An Explaining and Clarifying Overview on the Digitalisation of the Energy System
 
© Christos Georghiou | Fotolia.com
Which trends and developments characterise the energy system? How are digital technologies and data-based business models changing the energy system? What challenges do different actors face? These questions are the subject of a short study written by the Ecologic... Read more

Old Energy World – New Energy World: An Explaining and Clarifying Overview on the Digitalisation of the Energy System

Duration
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Funding

Resource efficiency

ProjectModels, Potentials and Long-Term Scenarios for Resource Efficiency (SimRess)
 
Fotolia ©sylbohec
The SimRess project analyzes the potential effectiveness of policy measures and mixes in the field of resource policy. Considering a time horizon through 2050, the project interprets model simulation results from both a system dynamics model and an econometric model.... Read more

Models, Potentials and Long-Term Scenarios for Resource Efficiency (SimRess)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectFP 7Sharing Water-related Information to Tackle CHanges in the Hydrosphere – for Operational Needs (SWITCH-ON)
 
Fotolia©drizzd
Water touches virtually all societal and environmental domains. The knowledge domain is largely multidisciplinary. New water information and knowledge can thus lead to more efficient use of environmental services and better handling of environmental problems, including... Read more

Sharing Water-related Information to Tackle CHanges in the Hydrosphere – for Operational Needs (SWITCH-ON)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectComparing Consumer Preferences for Smart Homes in the UK, Germany and Italy
 
Teilnehmer des deutschen Fokusgruppen-Workshops
"Consumer Preferences for Smart Homes: A Comparative Study between the UK, Germany, and Italy" aims to deliver significant, comparative insights into consumer attitudes towards energy and resource efficient smart home technologies and the potential for consumer... Read more

Comparing Consumer Preferences for Smart Homes in the UK, Germany and Italy

Duration
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Funding
E.ON (E.ON), Germany

Cities

ProjectHorizon 2020Digital Water City – Leading urban water management to its digital future (DWC)
 
| ©JFL Photography|Fotolia.com
European cities face major challenges to achieve the desired level of sustainability in the management of urban water systems. Digital technologies such as mobile devices, sensor network, real-time monitoring, machine learning, and modeling tools have the potential to... Read more

Digital Water City – Leading urban water management to its digital future (DWC)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectKnowledge. Transformation. Berlin – Transdisciplinary research for a social and ecological metropolis
 

© Ecornet Berlin

In the project "Knowledge. Transformation. Berlin.", the Ecornet Berlin research network pursued the goal of expanding Berlin's pioneering role in innovative approaches for a liveable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient city. Therefore, the research network focused... Read more

Knowledge. Transformation. Berlin – Transdisciplinary research for a social and ecological metropolis

Duration
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Funding
ProjectData Governance and Regulation for a Sustainable Berlin
 

© Ecologic Institut

The project "Data Governance and Regulation for a Sustainable Berlin" examined what forms of data regulation are possible and necessary at city level in Berlin to ensure that data-driven services, products and platforms are developed and used to meet social and... Read more

Data Governance and Regulation for a Sustainable Berlin

Duration
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Funding
ProjectInternet of Services and Things and Compliance of Technical Infrastructure with Environmental Standards – A Conceptual Study for Schwerin and its Surrounding Areas
 
| Luftbild von Schwerin © Ronald Bieber
Several regions, notably in eastern Germany, are faced with the challenge of maintaining infrastructure and services while coping with shrinking populations and financial constraints. Could up-to-date information and communication technologies, such as the internet of... Read more

Internet of Services and Things and Compliance of Technical Infrastructure with Environmental Standards – A Conceptual Study for Schwerin and its Surrounding Areas

Duration
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Funding
ProjectSustainable Communities through Digitization?! A method to evaluate the sustainability of local projects
 
| Fotolia © Julien M
The digitization of all spheres of life is progressing steadily, a mega-trend that will continuously and fundamentally change society. Municipalities are also making increasing use of the potential offered by digitization of political and administrative processes. Doris... Read more

Sustainable Communities through Digitization?! A method to evaluate the sustainability of local projects

Duration
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Funding
ProjectOekoworld Workshop on Sustainability Evaluation of Businesses in the Digital Economy
 
Sascha Dickel & Christian Thorun strukturieren den Ökoworld Workshop am Ecologic Institut
The Oekoworld Workshop on Sustainability Evaluation of Businesses in the Digital Economy in Berlin explored new ways to express ethical values in relation to digitalisation as a series of complex technological and business-model innovations in the context of ethical and... Read more

Oekoworld Workshop on Sustainability Evaluation of Businesses in the Digital Economy

Duration
Funding
All projects on Digitalization
Selected Publications for Digitalization
PublicationReportNachhaltigkeits- und Digitalisierungsziele des Landes Berlin
 
cover of the publication "Nachhaltigkeits- und Digitalisierungs- ziele des Landes Berlin. Einordnung der Ziele in den Bereichen Daten-Governance, Stadtentwicklung und soziale Räume, Verkehr und Mobilität, Energie, Umwelt und Gesundheit"

© Ecornet Berlin

This background paper for the research project "Digitalisation – Setting the Course for a Social-Ecological Digital Transformation in Berlin" within the project "Knowledge. Change. Berlin" provides an overview of the sustainability and digitalisation goals of the state... Read more

Best, A. & Reichwein, D. (2021). Nachhaltigkeits- und Digitalisierungsziele des Landes Berlin – Einordnung der Ziele in den Bereichen Daten-Governance, Stadtentwicklung und soziale Räume, Verkehr und Mobilität, Energie, Umwelt und Gesundheit (Wissen. Wandel. Berlin. Report Nr. 3). Berlin: Ecologic Institut, Forschungsverbund Ecornet Berlin.

PublicationReportPolicy Matrix – Screening of Digital, Data and Water Policies
 
In this publication, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute), Lorenzo Felicetti, and Ulf Stein (Ecologic Institute) shed light on the untapped potential of ICT solutions in water management across Berlin, Milan, Copenhagen, Paris and Sofia, the five cities analysed in the... Read more

Knoblauch, D., Felicetti, L. and Stein, U., 2020. Policy Matrix – Screening Of Digital, Data And Water Policies. [pdf] Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

PublicationWeb ApplicationBRIGAID Market Analysis Framework (MAF+)
 
Ecologic Institute has recently launched an online collaboration facility that helps climate innovators bring new solutions to market: the BRIGAID Market Analysis Framework (MAF+). By helping to identify actual market needs for solutions against droughts, floods and... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2017: "The BRIGAID Market Analysis Framework (MAF+)".  Web. November 2017. Online: http://maf.brigaid.eu.

PublicationWeb ApplicationMeasuring Progress – Explore Green Economy Indicators
 
'One size fits it all' does not apply when it comes to the right indicators for policymaking. The NETGREEN consortium published its interactive tool which collects green economy indicators in addition to helping users navigate through them. This tool incorporated the... Read more

NETGREEN consortium, 2015: Measuring-Progress.eu. Explore Green Economy Indicators. URL: http://measuring-progress.eu/.

PublicationWeb ApplicationCIRCULAR IMPACTS Online Library
 
The CIRCULAR IMPACTS project website has been updated with an evidence library on the circular economy. The Circular Impacts online library created by Ecologic Institute centralized information related to the circular economy transition. The library helped policy... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2016: CIRCULAR IMPACTS Online Library. URL: https://circular-impacts.eu/library

PublicationWeb ApplicationQuiz: Plastic in the Environment – What do you know?
 
Screenshot of the first page of the quiz

Ecologic Institute

When I wash a polyester fleece jacket, can microplastics get into the water? How many climate-damaging greenhouse gases are released annually due to the global production of plastics and what is chemical recycling? Plastics are all around us and make up an essential... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2020: Quiz: Plastic in the environment – What do you know? Online: quiz.bmbf-plastik.de

PublicationWeb ApplicationPlastic Pirates – Go Europe!
 
Plastic Pirates Website

@Ecologic Institute

A torn plastic bag on the riverbank or a yoghurt cup floating in the water are symptoms of serious interference with the highly complex system of seas, the ocean and flowing waterways. The Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! project focuses on this plastic waste problem and... Read more

Ecologic Institut (2020):Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!. URL: https://www.plastic-pirates.eu/en

PublicationBook SectionNachhaltige Kommunen durch Digitalisierung?!
 
With this contribution Doris Knoblauch and Susanne Langsdorf from Ecologic Institute offer an easy-to-use three-step process that allows for a meaningful assessment of projects' sustainability. The process has already been tested by two digitization projects. The... Read more

Knoblauch, Doris; Langsdorf, Susanne (2017): Nachhaltige Kommunen durch Digitalisierung?! – Ein Verfahren zur Einschätzung der Auswirkungen kommunaler Digitalisierungsprojekte auf eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. In: Bertelsmann Stiftung (Hrsg.) Monitor Nachhaltige Kommune. Bericht 2017. Schwerpunktthema Digitalisierung. Gütersloh.

PublicationArticleHow Can We Make the Energiewende Digital and Sustainable?
 
dlohner | pixabay.com
The Energiewende means a transition from the old, nuclear-and-coal based, to a sustainable and digitalized energy system. This is a complex endeavor: the number of actors involved increases and their functions overlap. While digital technologies bring automation and... Read more

Lucha, Christine and Lisa Meinecke 2019: How can we make the Energiewende digital and sustainable? [Blog] Energy Transition. The Global Energiewende. Online: https://energytransition.org/2019/04/energiewende-digital-and-sustainable/#more-19573

All publications on Digitalization
Selected Presentations for Digitalization
PresentationChairingClimate Protection and Artificial Intelligence – How can AI help us reach the Paris Agreement?
 
Climate change and artificial intelligence (AI) are two intensely debated topics, but mostly treated by separate communities. While climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges the world is facing, AI is creating new opportunities for all sectors,... Read more

Chairing:Climate Protection and Artificial Intelligence – How can AI help us reach the Paris Agreement?

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
PresentationLectureLegal Aspects of Big Data in the Energy Sector – Summer School Lecture
 
© Christos Georghiou | Fotolia.com
Ecologic Institute was asked by IASS to give a lecture on "Legal aspects of big data in the energy sector" at the ENavi Summer School 2019 on Digitalisation in the Energy Transition. Its participants consisted of persons with a strong interest in... Read more

Lecture:Legal Aspects of Big Data in the Energy Sector – Summer School Lecture

Date
Location
Potsdam, Germany
PresentationPanel discussionComprehensive Sustainability Assessment of Digital Economy Companies
 

Image: Chaos Computer Club e.V.

During this panel discussion, moderated by R. Andreas Kraemer, the performance promises of companies in the digital economy were examined from a scientific and practical perspective, and challenges for company rating and concerns for ethical investment were explored. ... Read more

Panel discussion:Comprehensive Sustainability Assessment of Digital Economy Companies

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
All presentations on Digitalization