The EU's Twin – Digital and Green – Transformation. Are We Succeeding?

The EU’s Action Plan on Digitising the Energy System has marked a bold move to bridge digital innovation and sustainability. Digitisation is positioned to play a vital role in advancing Europe’s Net Zero ambitions, offering tools to make energy use smarter, processes more efficient, and renewables integrated more seamlessly. Technologies like smart grids, IoT-enabled monitoring, and data-driven insights promise to help industries and cities cut carbon emissions and optimise resources. However, there’s a hidden cost. Today’s global digital industry consumes enough water, materials, and energy to give it an environmental footprint nearly three times that of the UK. Digital tech currently uses 10% of the world’s electricity and contributes close to 4% of global CO₂ emissions—almost double that of civil aviation – and the energy demands of data centres and digital infrastructure are growing. So, on the way towards a twin – green and digital – future: => How do we account for the new risks and how do we balance risks with the benefits that digitisation brings? => How much physical space is taken up by the digital world and are new communication networks compatible with the ecological transition? => Can smart cities truly become sustainable, and what are early projects telling us? => How do we deal with the e-waste? => Do we properly account for the algo-trading and passive funds? Join us for a conversation with Guillaume Pitron, an award-winning journalist, documentary writer and director, and best-selling author of “The Dark Cloud: How the Digital World is Costing the Earth” and The Rare Metals War: The Dark Side of Clean Energy and Digital Technologies” With nearly thirty French and international accolades, Guillaume provides a clear-eyed look into the ecological stakes of the digital age. Moderated by Dana Hanby, Managing Director, ESG Nexus