The 'twin transition'
Felt's presentation will focus on the 'twin transition' as a buzzword in European policy discourse, and draw on the research project Innovation Residues - Modes and Infrastructures of Caring for our Longue-durée Environmental Futures.
The 'twin transition' has become the latest buzzword in European policy discourse. Embedded in the ambitious framework of the European Green Deal, it proposes a synergistic relationship between the green and digital transitions, presenting a scenario in which the two are mutually reinforcing and form the cornerstone of a sustainable, fair and competitive future. Emphasising the importance of maintaining competitiveness and sustaining economic growth, data is heralded as 'the new oil of the digital economy'.
While we encounter diverse forms of digital solutionism as a response to many of our contemporary problems, the environmental impact of the digital transition gets little to no attention. This environmental impact comes through the impressive expanision of new forms of extractive data industries, the growing demand for raw materials and the rising amount of digital waste, which all pose considerable challenges to the promise of environmental sustainability. My presentation will draw on research conducted as part of my ERC Advanced Grant "Innovation Residues - Modes and Infrastructures of Caring for our longue-durée environmental futures". Specifically, I will not only scrutinise the valuation practices and justifications which are visible in the twin transition narratives produced in the ample documentation produced by the European Commission, but also elaborate on the often tacit temporalities which govern both valuations and justifications.
Organizer
This seminar is hosted in collaboration between The Science Studies Colloquium Series and the TIK - Centre for technology, innovation and culture, and is part of TIK’s 25 year anniversary program.