Aligning Digital Futures with Ecological Citizenship for Sustainability

Luke Gooding () and Robert Phillips
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Luke Gooding: Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
Robert Phillips: Royal College of Art, London SW11 4NL, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: As digital technology continues to embed and influence everyday life, its social and environmental impacts need to be addressed seriously. This article introduces and clarifies the concept of Ecological Citizenship ( EC ), defining it as a form of citizenship that extends rights and duties beyond the human social sphere into ecological systems, requiring individuals, communities, and institutions to take responsibility for the environmental consequences of their digital practices. Unlike traditional forms of citizenship tied to legal or territorial boundaries, EC is grounded in shared ecological accountability and civic responsibility. We argue that EC offers a distinctive lens for shaping the evolution of a Sustainable Digital Society ( SDS ), where digital innovation and sustainability are co-aligned. Through theoretical analysis and case studies, this article examines how EC can support community-based, policy-led, and design-focused approaches towards digital sustainability. We look to highlight ways in which EC can be embedded in digital behaviour, infrastructure, and product design while acknowledging barriers such as the digital divide, unequal resource allocation, and adverse policy settings. This research aims to offer policymakers, technologists, and educators’ pragmatic advice for realising sustainable design, environmental literacy, and universal digital access. The study looks to argue for a more systemic reconsideration of digital development, a consideration which places environmental values at the forefront of technological progress, to ensure that digital transformation is both socially equitable and beneficial to planetary well-being.

Keywords: Sustainable Digital Society; Ecological Citizenship; green computing; circular economy; digital policy; emerging technologies; environmental sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
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