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In order to govern processes of digitalization for the purpose of the common good, it is important to understand the opportunities and risks of information and communications technology (ICT) for a sustainable transformation of society. In this article, we systematically review 215 publications from the ICT for Sustainability (ICT4S) conference corpus in order to investigate the state of debate. We analyze to what extent research covers sustainability implications of ICT, 1. regarding different levels of actions and effects, as well as 2. regarding the three different strategies of sustainability - efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency. We find that ICT4S research has a one-sided focus on digital efficiency improvements and on life-cycle impacts of ICT devices and applications. There is far less research on digitalization's potential to advance sufficiency-oriented practices, and questions of how to foster digital sustainability transformations at macro- and structural level are only marginally treated. We draw conclusions for funding and science politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the link between digitalization and sustainability has become an increasingly relevant topic, both in public debate and in scientific research. Topics include examines it has also risen up the political agenda, at least in some countries and as of February 2022, in the European Union the two overarching narratives were sustainability and digitalization, expressed in the Green Deal and Fit for the Digital Age legislative packages respectively.

Rebound effects have been historically studied through narrow framings which may overlook the complexity of sustainability challenges, sometimes leading to badly informed conclusions and policy recommendations. Here we present a critical literature review of rebound effects in the context of sustainability science in order to (1) map existing rebound research which goes beyond mainstream approaches, (2) unveil and classify current knowledge gaps in relation to sustainability science, (3) outline a research agenda, and (4) provide a knowledge base to support the design of effective policies toward sustainable development. We analyzed the literature in accordance with seven criteria for sustainable assessment: boundary orientedness, comprehensiveness, integratedness, stakeholder involvement, scalability, strategicness, and transparency. Our review identified three main issues: (1) the failure to address the multidimensionality of rebound effects, whereby both negative and positive outcomes may arise simultaneously, (2) the shift toward absolute rebound metrics which enables the contextualization of its effect with respect to science and policy goals, and (3) a general lack of attention to behavioral effects. We conclude that addressing these issues will help rebound research gain explanatory power and relevance for key decision‐makers. We envision that with better alignment with sustainability science, future rebound research could help elucidate trade‐offs in policies, including why certain strategies such as those based on the circular economy might fall short of expectations, and why achieving key goals and targets such as the sustainable development goals is so challenging. This knowledge is crucial for promoting a prioritization of actions and a concrete transition toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses government plea to consider broader socio-economic implications of digitalization and climate change. Topics include influencing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation strategies, digitalization affects matters of climate justice; and advance fair benefit sharing of digital climate technologies, the decentralization of technological development.

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Ever since Georg Simmel (1895) introduced the notion into sociological accounts of modernity, scholars have tried to empirically test the claim of an increasing "speed of life" in modern society. The acceleration of speed or pace of life has been characterized as an "intensification" of our experience of time, a "time squeeze," and "hurriedness" in leisure time. However, to date, no comprehensive instrument, scale, or indicator has been developed that is grounded in solid theory and serves to empirically measure and compare the pace of life in a straightforward manner. The purpose of this research is to develop and validate a scale-based measure that reveals whether individuals pursue a fast or slow pace of life in a leisure-time context. The result is the fifteen-item General Acceleration Scale (GAS), which conceptually rests on the comprehensive theory of social acceleration by Hartmut Rosa (2013). The scale systematically tests the pace of life along four temporal strategies of speedup: performing activities faster, doing multitasking, replacing time-consuming by time-saving activities, and filling breaks or waiting times with productive activities. If these temporal strategies form a consistent pattern, they consequently lead to an increase in the rate, speed, or relative density of experiences and activities per unit of time and thus to an increase in the pace of life. Validation of the GAS was completed by a large sample (N = 1161) as part of a self-report online survey in Germany in 2019. We examined the convergent and discriminant validity as well as internal consistency reliability of the scale and conducted a confirmatory factor analysis via maximum likelihood estimation. Control variables and discriminant measures were included to access construct validity. Overall, we can validate the GAS as a reliable measure of time use that can be used as a straightforward pace of life indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable consumption is increasingly shaped by online environments. Everyday exposure to online advertisement and social media content by peers may influence individual consumption decisions. By representative online surveys (N = 2,694), we examined how perception of online environments influences individual consumption levels of clothing, digital devices and leisure air travel, mediated by individual aspiration levels, personal and social norms. Structural equation modeling confirms relationships between perceived consumption‐promoting online content and consumption levels, fully mediated through aspiration levels. Sufficiency‐promoting online content is associated with higher social and personal norms for sufficiency, but neither of the latter are linked to aspiration or consumption levels. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that aspiration levels and consumption decisions are influenced by consumption‐promoting online content. Due to the use of cross‐sectional data, it cannot be ruled out that these results reflect that more consumption‐oriented individuals pay more attention to consumption‐promoting online content. Hence, the dominant causal direction needs to be determined by experimental or longitudinal methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While transdisciplinarity offers a way to tackle complex socialecological challenges, transdisciplinary research is a challenging task in itself. The integration of research methods across academic disciplines, the collaboration between researchers and practitioners, and the need to balance societal and disciplinary academic impacts pose many difficulties even to experienced applied scientists and even more so to early-career researchers. Young scholars face particular problems, given their lack of longer-term experience and their still fragile position within academia. Drawing on existing literature, an early-career researcher workshop, and our own experience as junior research group leaders, we discuss specific challenges and respective solution strategies of transdisciplinary research within the context of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the rebound effect has so far mainly considered ‘micro-economic rebound effects’ at the level of consumers and households, as well as ‘macro-economic rebound effects’ in the sense of energy efficiency-induced economic growth effects. This article focuses on an area of rebound research that has not yet received sufficient attention, namely on ‘meso-economic rebound effects’ as production-side and sector-level rebounds. The article summarizes and systematizes reasons why companies generate rebounds, distinguishes market- and sector-level rebounds from macro-economic growth effects, identifies a number of ‘feedback loops’ by which production-side and sector-level rebounds multiply or nullify consumer-side rebound effects, and finally discusses some conclusions on the potential quantitative dimension of production-side rebound effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rebound effects have been discussed in micro- and macro - economics since the 1980s, but until today have garnered too little attention in disciplines outside economics or in applied sustainability politics. This article provides an overview of the existing research, raises critiques, and points out open questions. It makes the case for analysis of psychological rebound effects in order to broaden the narrow micro-economic perspective on consumer behavior. It explains "ideological divergences" in present rebound research on energy efficiency-induced economic growth impacts and suggests that existing econometric evidence on macroeconomic rebounds might rather underestimate the scope of these effects. Furthermore, this article comprehensively addresses producer-side and market-level rebound effects, which so far have only achieved marginal attention even in the economic rebound literature. The various rebound effects identified may result in reducing the energy savings potential of technical efficiency improvements by 50 percent or more. Therefore, research on a socio-ecological transition of industrial societies is well-advised to take due note of rebound effects and foster policies and measures that can contain them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the environmental impacts of micro-macro discrepancy on attaining sustainable levels of natural resource consumption. Topics discussed include the factors of understanding the concept of economic growth, the use of environmental efficiency benefits and the effect of cause-effect relativity. Other topics include the lack of political relevance of rebound environmental research.

Digitalization can increase resource and energy productivities. However, the production and usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) require materials and energy, and the application of ICTs fosters economic growth. This paper examines whether digitalization helps or hinders an absolute decoupling of environmental throughput from economic growth. The paper combines the literature on "green IT" and "ICT for green" with studies on decoupling, i.e., the relationship between economic growth, technological change, and environmental throughput. The paper identifies several strains of the decoupling debate and connects them to the environmental implications of digitalization. We focus on the relation between digitalization and (1) the question of finite non-renewable energies, (2) the environmental Kuznets curve, (3) the role of energy consumption for economic growth, (4) efficiency improvements vis-à-vis rebound effects, and (5) the role of general purpose technologies for resource and energy demand. We find that the empirical basis regarding digitalization's relation to these four aspects is still weak and hence, further research is needed. Comparing the mitigating and the aggravating impacts of digitalization, we conclude that a more active political and societal shaping of the process of digitalization is needed to make ICT work for global environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]