Rethinking Sustainable Development in the Digital Age: A Critical Examination of the Environmental and Social Impacts of Digital Technologies

Abstract

Currently, digital technologies are influencing the production and consumption of society, as well as its education, governance, and care. They also have an impact on our material and energy landscape: the data centres that power our electricity, the mobile networks that connect our devices, and the minerals that are essential to smartphone and computer production. This article delves into the environmental and social implications of digitalisation and explores what is needed to achieve a "sustainable digital age. The paper draws on recent research on electricity and water usage in data centres and AI and material footprint, embodied emissions and end-of-life effects of devices. It also tackles long-standing socioeconomic inequities such as unequal connectivity, a laboured and unstable workforce, and exposure to toxic e-waste. This article compares these risks to real sustainability advantages, such as reduced travel emissions from telemedicine and progress in precision agriculture enabled by digital technology, and identifies rebound effects that could offset the efficiency improvements. The paper then reviews policy options, such as the European Union's Right to Repair Directive and international digital governance rules for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It advocates a pragmatic agenda centred on sustainable-by-design digital ecosystems, such as adopting science-based limits on water and power consumption in computing, extending the useful life of devices, etc. The study concludes that while the digital age in Nigeria has great potential, it comes at a high cost to the environment and society, including e-waste, energy-intensive data centres, the unending digital divide and exploitative supply chains. It, among others, called for a Nigerian Right to Repair Policy.