Which characteristics for digital innovations?
In 2021, the European Commission declared its wish to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. After the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and its implementation with the Paris Agreements, the EU has adopted a more forward-looking perspective holding a greater reduction of gas emissions than agreed upon to achieve what has been defined as Climate-neutrality by 2050. Concretely, the Commission together with the Parliament has settled on an ambitious and all-encompassing program: the Green Deal.
The never-so-impressive opportunity is to modernize the EU’s economy and society and reorient them towards a just and sustainable future. To do so, a holistic approach to cooperation is of the utmost importance and urgency, one permeating through all EU actions and policies and cutting across all areas of application. Similarly, International Cooperation is needed to mobilize neighborhood countries and partners and to encourage them to act together towards a sustainable path, while still preserving the competitiveness of the European industry.
In this direction, the EU pillars of social rights established 20 social goals, among which two particularly address access to digital tools and digital services with a specific focus on their consequences on the labor market. The Deal package has various fields of application, with special attention to the sector of production and use of energy representing almost 70% of gas emissions, transport (25%), and heating or refrigerating systems (40%). Of similar urgency are the industrial production and agri-food sectors that must be modernized and reviewed bearing in mind the preservation of the territory.
Attention to start a Green and Digital Revolution was brought upon by Hon. Daniela Rondinelli during the 21st edition of the Infopoverty World Conference, where ideas and concrete projects are discussed by eminent personalities bringing together efforts from many countries on the path towards modernization. As Hon. Rondinelli outlined, crucial to the advancement and successful reach of the Green Deal is fair and equal progress for all.
“The aim is to allow the sharing of the positive effects of the new digital society, everywhere to everyone, thanks to the new order to renovated rights, including the wide access to digital instruments. But since not all states can develop in the same way at the same speed, I'm firmly convinced that the European Union has no alternative but to lead the global process, which should entail multilateral governance, for a more equal inferior society”.
(Daniela Rondinelli, XXI Infopoverty World Conference)
As she mentioned, unfortunately not all countries are equipped for and ready to radically change their economic and social models. The main concern is not the lack of intention to reach those targets, but rather the absence of a global strategy based on both long and short-term realistic and measurable goals leading all countries towards a common and sustainable direction.
As for its part, the European Union has recently created the new generation-EU, aimed at re-shaping a greener, more digital, and more resilient continent in line with the SDGs of the United Nations, which OCCAM is restlessly promoting.
The Green Deal and its Digital Innovation strategy are the first steps toward a new era of revolution both in the digital and real life. Reaching the targeted goals is necessary to ensure all communities and citizens have equal opportunities in view of digitalization and climate change.