01 Ecological Vision

	Ecological Vision - Sustainable Development

Aus: Information Society Forum: Networks for People and their Communities. Making the Most of the Information Society in the European Union. First Annual Report to the European Commission from the Information Society Forum, Juni 1996

Chapter Three:
Mapping Out a Future for Job Creation and Sustainable Development

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3. The new technologies look likely to make a real contribution to sustainable development, but there is no guarantee that they will

Sustainability is as important as human rights and democracy and, sadly, much less entrenched in our economic, social and political systems. It is a global requirement which can only be secured by global agreements and actions.

Sustainable development:

(i) implies a concern for future generations and for the long term health and integrity of the environment

(ii) embraces concern for the quality of life (not just incomes growth), for equity between people in the present (including the prevention of poverty), for intergenerational equity (people in the future deserve an environment at least as good as the one we currently enjoy, if not better), and for the social and ethical dimensions of human welfare

(iii) implies that further development should only take place as long as natural systems can support it

Most experts do not think that sustainable development is realistically attainable without information technologies, but nor are they sure it is guaranteed with them. Much depends on the framework in which they are used. There is a risk of a "rebound" effect whereby they could stimulate new demands for material consumption. If this happens, sustainability will be lost and we shall be faced with chaos and confrontation.

The new technologies and their applications can contribute to sustainability by:

	their requirement for relatively small amounts of materials and resources in relation to the productivity improvements they deliver
	"dematerialisation" e.g. electronic banking where transactions are conducted without paper
	making Third World development less resource-intensive
	creating "smart" transport systems, less polluting and more efficient in performance and use of material resources
	reducing mobility (by means of teleworking/homeworking, retailing and entertainment applications) and congestion, pollution and energy consumption
	environmental monitoring by means of remote sensing

Securing these benefits requires progress across a broad policy front at local, regional, national and global levels. It also means recognising that technology alone is unlikely to deliver sustainability unless accompanied by cultural and structural changes.