A Green Handbook

The numbers are clear. We are in a climate emergency, and we need to act now. In 2022, greenhouse gas emissions were at a record high, and since 2018 we have experienced the hottest years ever recorded.

However, one aspect is often overlooked: the environmental impact of digital technologies. Smartphones, digital platforms and the internet itself are assumed to be part of the solution. 

Digitisation plays an important role in advancing sustainability. However, the use of digital tech is not impact-free, from the manufacture of devices through to the electricity required to use such devices and transfer data between them. If not used with care, it creates significant problems.

Nevertheless, there are pathways to digitally sustainable futures. And we know that community organisations can become pioneers of sustainable digital  tech, whether in open source communities, by using tools to measure the carbon impact of digital services, or participating in initiatives for the right to repair of electronic devices.

This easy-to-use, approachable handbook is designed for community tech practitioners who are interested in building or maintaining sustainable, digital technology alternatives. We want to help you answer the following questions:

• What is digital sustainability and how can you work towards it? 

• What are the first steps for your organisation to transition to digital sustainability?

• What inspiring pathways already exist and how can we learn from them? 

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