Green in IT' as well as 'Green by IT' are established approaches to increase environmental sustainability with the use of information technology. The concept of digital sustainability enhances this view because today knowledge itself is a resource worth protecting. This concept assumes digital goods such as data, text, images, or software lead to the highest benefit for society when they are freely available surrounded by an open ecosystem of contributors.

1. Panel on Sustainable Economy
in an Age of Digitization:
Digital Sustainability in the IT Supply Chain
Dr. Matthias Stürmer
Research Center for Digital Sustainability
Institute of Information Systems
University of Bern
7th International Conference on
Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility
16 September 2016, Humboldt-Universität Berlin

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Research Center for Digital Sustainability
Team of 10 members and 3 PhD students at the Institut of
Information Systems at University of Bern, founded in 2014
Research, teaching and consulting on…
> Digital sustainability: SDGs, digital commons etc.
> Open source software: Community governance,
business models, maturity models, Inner Source etc.
> Open data: Open data apps, interactive data
visualizations, open aid, linked open data etc.
> Open government: Transparency, participation,
impact models, participatory apps (FixMyStreet) etc.
> ICT procurement: No-bid contracts, vendor lock-in,
open standards, agile procurement, requirements etc.
www.digitale-nachhaltigkeit.unibe.ch

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Matthias Stürmer
> Since 2013 post-doc and head of Research Center for Digital
Sustainability at the Institut of Information Systems at University of Bern
> 2010 until 2013 senior consultant/manager regarding open source
software, open data, social media, IT architecture, IT security, IT audit,
and IT procurement at EY (Ernst & Young)
> 2009 until 2010 business development and project manager at Liip AG
> 2006 until 2009 assistent at ETH Zürich at the Chair of Strategic
Management and Innovation (D-MTEC) of Prof. Georg von Krogh
> 2000 until 2005 licentiate in business administration and computer science
at University of Bern
> President of tcbe.ch – ICT Cluster Bern, Switzerland
> Member of the board of CH Open
> Co-founder and member of the board of Opendata.ch
> Secretary of the Parliamentarian Group for Digital Sustainability
> Member of the city parliament of Bern
Dr. Matthias Stürmer
Post-doc, head of Research
Center for Digital Sustainability
University of Bern
Institut of Information Systems
Engehaldenstrasse 8
CH-3012 Bern
Office: +41 31 631 38 09
Mobile: +41 76 368 81 65
Secretary: +41 31 631 38 79
Twitter: @maemst
matthias.stuermer@iwi.unibe.ch
www.digitale-nachhaltigkeit.unibe.ch

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Agenda
1. Sustainability and digitalization
2. Basic conditions for digital sustainability
3. Examples of nearly digital sustainable resources

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Brundtland Commission
„Sustainable development is development
that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.“
(Brundtland Comission, 1987)
„It contains two key concepts:
1. the concept of "needs", in particular the
essential needs of the world's poor, to which
overriding priority should be given;
2. the idea of limitations imposed by the state of
technology and social organization on the
environment's ability to meet present and
future needs.“
Source: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future

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Source: Raworth, K., 2012. A safe and just space for humanity: can we live within the doughnut.
Social Foundation &
Environmental Ceiling

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Enhancing the state of technology
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015

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Goals related to technology
> 9.c Significantly increase access to information and
communications technology and strive to provide universal and
affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by
2020
> 17.6 (…) access to science, technology and innovation and
enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms (…)
> 17.7 Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and
diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing
countries on favourable terms (…)
> 17.8 Fully operationalize the technology bank and science,
technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least
developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling
technology, in particular information and communications
technology
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015

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Impact of digital technologies
Source: Kossahl et al., 2012

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What is digital sustainability?
> „Digital Sustainability creates, develops, maintains and ensures
access to digital artifacts in a way that facilitates the greatest
possible benefit for society.“
> Examples for digital Sustainability:
> Narrower sense (economic/knowledge) of digital sustainability vs.
broader sense (ecological & social)
in Information
Systems
by Information
Systems
Ecological Eco-efficient server Biodiversity Index
Social Effective labour law Tools for education
Economic/Knowledge Comments in source code Access to data

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Agenda
1. Sustainability and digitalization
2. Basic conditions for digital sustainability
3. Examples of nearly digital sustainable resources

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Knowledge needs to be protected, too
Environment Humans
Economy Knowledge

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Related research
> Sustainable Development
(World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987)
> Digital Preservation (Smith Rumsey 2010)
> Private-Collective Innovation Model
(von Hippel and von Krogh, 2003)
> Knowledge Commons / Digital Commons (Frischmann et al. 2014)
Sources:
• World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development: Our Common Future.
• Frischmann, B.M., Madison, M.J., Strandburg, K.J., 2014. Governing Knowledge Commons. Oxford University Press on
Demand.
• von Hippel, E., von Krogh, G., 2003. Open Source Software and the “Private-Collective” Innovation Model: Issues for
Organization Science. Organization Science 14, 209–223.
• Smith Rumsey, A., 2010. Sustainable Economics for a Digital Planet: Ensuring Long-Term Access to Digital Information.
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Sustainable Digital Preservation and Access.

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10 Basic Conditions of
Digital Sustainability
Ecosystem
Digital
good
1. Elaborateness
2. Transparent structures
3. Semantic data
4. Distributed location
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper
create use
World
5. Open licensing regime
6. Shared tacit knowledge
7. Participatory culture
8. Good governance
9. Diversified funding
10. Sustainable development

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1. Elaborateness
> Elaborateness is determined through their completeness,
modularity, integrity, accuracy, security, robustness etc. regarding
the quality of their substance.
> Creates immediate value to their users because it signifies high
quality facilitating improvements to their structures.
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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2. Transparent structures
> Technical openness of the digital good:
— Detailed specification of data structure and formats
— Open accessible source code of software
— Open accessible information architecture and documentation
> Transparency enables control and improvements from the public
improving trust and reducing mistakes
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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3. Semantic data
> Semantic information (metadata, ontologies) make complex digital
artifacts intelligible to humans and machines through
comprehensible structures and meta data.
> Semantic information enables individuals, organizations and
eventually society to absorb previously created knowledge and to
advance that knowledge.
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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4. Distributed location
> Distributed location means data, software and other digital artifacts
are stored and operated on multiple sites e.g. through replicated
data storage or peer-to-peer technology.
> Increases long-term availability of digital artifacts and their
operational reliability to the benefit of society.
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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5. Open licensing regime
> Everybody is allowed to use and change a digital good
> Previously created knowledge can be re-used at no costs
 «Standing on the shoulders of giants»
> Allows society to fully exploit the intellectual capacity of humanity
> Open question: With or without copyleft?
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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6. Shared tacit knowledge
> Many individuals and organizations who know via their experience
how to understand, use and modify the digital artifacts.
> Reduces dependence of society on a single or a few individuals,
corporations or other organizations. Thus it empowers individuals
and organizations to contribute.
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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7. Participatory culture
> Participatory culture allows the creation of active ecosystems
> Brings together knowledge and experience of different contributors
> Peer-review enhances quality of contributions
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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8. Good governance
> Governance not by a single individual or organization, but
decentralized among contributors and other stakeholders
> Governance-processes (elections etc.) define responsibilities
> Open question: The bigger the contribution, the higher the
influence (meritocracy)?
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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9. Diversified funding
> Cost covering of infrastructures, contributions and other spending
from various financial sources.
> Reduces control by a single entity thus increasing the
independence of future improvements and decreasing the risk of
conflicting interests.
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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10. Sustainable development
> Contribution to sustainable development
> Creation and use of digital artifacts needs natural and social
resources. Are they being of sustainable origin, e.g. renewable
energy?
> Digital artifacts can be used as a contribution for sustainable
development or for unsustainable purposes
Source: Stürmer, Abu-Tayeh, Myrach “Digital sustainability: Basic conditions of digital artifacts and their ecosystem” working paper

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Agenda
1. Sustainability and digitalization
2. Basic conditions for digital sustainability
3. Examples of nearly digital sustainable resources

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Linux Kernel Development
Top 10 companies contributing to the Linux kernel between
2013-09-02 until 2014-12-07:
Source: Linux Foundation, February 2015 „Linux Kernel Development How Fast is it Going, Who is Doing It,
What Are They Doing and Who is Sponsoring the Work“
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/linux-foundation/who-writes-linux-2015

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PolarSys
Link: https://www.polarsys.org

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Wikipedia

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OpenStreetMap
Link: http://tools.geofabrik.de/mc/#16/47.4303/9.3727&num=2&mt0=mapnik&mt1=google-map

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Linked Open Data
Link: http://lod-cloud.net

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Bitcoin and Blockchain technologies
Source: Reuters Graphics

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Unsustainable creation of Bitcoin:
Mining in China
Source: http://derstandard.at/2000004604700/Im-Inneren-einer-chinesischen-Bitcoin-Mine

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More examples

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Questions and discussion
Dr. Matthias Stürmer
Post-doc, head of Research
Center for Digital Sustainability
University of Bern
Institut of Information Systems
Engehaldenstrasse 8
CH-3012 Bern
Office: +41 31 631 38 09
Mobile: +41 76 368 81 65
Secretary: +41 31 631 38 79
Twitter: @maemst
matthias.stuermer@iwi.unibe.ch
www.digitale-nachhaltigkeit.unibe.ch
Thank your for your attention!