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Review
. 2023 Feb 10;4(2):100679.
doi: 10.1016/j.patter.2023.100679.

Systems thinking and efficiency under emissions constraints: Addressing rebound effects in digital innovation and policy

Kelly Widdicks  1 , Federica Lucivero  2 , Gabrielle Samuel  3 , Lucas Somavilla Croxatto  2   4 , Marcia Tavares Smith  1 , Carolyn Ten Holter  2 , Mike Berners-Lee  5 , Gordon S Blair  1   6 , Marina Jirotka  2 , Bran Knowles  1 , Steven Sorrell  7 , Miriam Börjesson Rivera  8 , Caroline Cook  9 , Vlad C Coroamă  10 , Timothy J Foxon  7 , Jeffrey Hardy  11 , Lorenz M Hilty  12 , Simon Hinterholzer  13 , Birgit Penzenstadler  14   15
Affiliations
Review

Systems thinking and efficiency under emissions constraints: Addressing rebound effects in digital innovation and policy

Kelly Widdicks et al. Patterns (N Y). .

Abstract

Innovations and efficiencies in digital technology have lately been depicted as paramount in the green transition to enable the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, both in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and the wider economy. This, however, fails to adequately account for rebound effects that can offset emission savings and, in the worst case, increase emissions. In this perspective, we draw on a transdisciplinary workshop with 19 experts from carbon accounting, digital sustainability research, ethics, sociology, public policy, and sustainable business to expose the challenges of addressing rebound effects in digital innovation processes and associated policy. We utilize a responsible innovation approach to uncover potential ways forward for incorporating rebound effects in these domains, concluding that addressing ICT-related rebound effects ultimately requires a shift from an ICT efficiency-centered perspective to a "systems thinking" model, which aims to understand efficiency as one solution among others that requires constraints on emissions for ICT environmental savings to be realized.

Keywords: ICT; digital innovation; emissions constraints; environmental impacts; policy; rebound effects; systems thinking.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.B.-L. is the founder and principal consultant of Small World Consulting. C.C. works at Baillie Gifford, which is a commercial entity. G.S.B. is a member of the Patterns advisory board.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Figure 1
Figure 1
An overview of the workshop activities, participants, and analysis
Figure 2
Figure 2
A visualization of rebound effects from efficiency and efficiency under emissions constraints
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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