In today’s tense geopolitical and economic climate, digital transformation is under increasing scrutiny — not only for its efficiency, but also for its ethics, inclusivity, and long-term impact.
As policymakers across Europe push for more regulation around AI, data use, and green IT, organizations are being called to take a more comprehensive approach to sustainability.
While reducing CO2 and managing energy consumption remain critical, our European Digital Sustainability survey — conducted among 50 professionals across public and private sectors — reveals that the concept is evolving. Respondents, representing a diverse range of organizational sizes and roles, increasingly view digital sustainability as more than just “going green.” It’s about aligning digital progress with societal values, responsible governance, and future-proof economics.
A broader perspective on digital sustainability is emerging
The survey was conducted in March and April 2025 among professionals from both the public (37%) and private sectors (63%) in Europe, representing a wide variety of organizations in terms of size and sectors. Participants were asked to select elements they associate with digital sustainability.
Analysis of the responses revealed that only a small fraction (approximately 13%) of respondents view digital sustainability through a purely environmental lens by focusing on elements such as energy consumption or carbon footprint reduction. In contrast, the majority of respondents selected elements across all three dimensions of digital sustainability: environmental, social, and economic.
These results indicate a broader and more holistic understanding of the topic of digital sustainability, with respondents recognizing its multifaceted nature. This is a sign of the growing awareness that digital sustainability is as much about things like ethical data use, accessibility, and long-term value creation as it is about energy efficiency or carbon emissions. This integrated perspective is increasingly seen as essential to creating digital systems and strategies that are truly sustainable in the long term.
How people define the true meaning of digital sustainability
While energy consumption and the carbon footprint are two of the three most frequently recognized elements of digital sustainability, the third element is the responsible use of technology.
This illustrates that although ecological concerns remain central, ethical digital behavior is equally in mind. It means that digital sustainability is not just about greener data centers or energy-efficient devices, but about ensuring that technology respects individuals’ rights, includes all communities, and contributes to a fairer society.
For employees, it’s about working in organizations that uphold ethical data practices. For consumers, it’s about trusting that their digital lives aren’t exploited. And for society at large, it’s about shaping a digital future that is not only smart and efficient, but also just and inclusive.
Digital sustainability opens new paths to innovation and growth
The survey responses underline that digital sustainability is not just a responsibility, but can also be seen as a strategic opportunity. This is especially true for the social dimension, with many professionals identifying inclusion, digital well-being, and ethical technology design as areas where sustainable practices can create meaningful impact, both internally and externally.
In terms of the positive economic aspects, respondents highlighted innovation, resilience, and long-term thinking as essential elements of a digitally sustainable organization. These are not only aligned with profitability, but also with future-readiness.
Just some of the numerous and wide-ranging examples of future-proof digitally sustainable practices mentioned by respondents include “more transparency for customers,” “data minimization,” “impact investments,” “designing for long-term maintainability,” and renewable energy and recycling initiatives.
How organizations take first steps toward digital sustainability
When asked to reflect on the maturity of digital sustainability within their own organizations, respondents mainly painted an optimistic picture of early-stage progress, with only 17% of them indicating no awareness of the topic within their organization.
What drives organizations to act on digital sustainability
Respondents identified several key drivers behind their organizations’ growing focus on digital sustainability. The top is leadership commitment. When digital sustainability is a priority for senior decision-makers, it gains visibility and support across the organization. Other key reasons for accelerating digital sustainability-related action are the need to innovate, regulatory pressure, and compliance requirements.
Organizations increasingly see digital sustainability as a driver of meaningful innovation — developing smarter, more efficient technologies that are not only environmentally responsible but also ethically sound and socially inclusive.
Increasingly, organizations are responding to frameworks such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which requires disclosure of environmental impacts, including digital operations. Privacy regulations like the GDPR and upcoming AI Act also drive responsible data practices and transparent use of emerging technologies. Together, these frameworks elevate digital sustainability from a voluntary ambition to a compliance imperative.
What holds organizations back from digital sustainability
While increasingly recognizing the importance of digital sustainability, turning that awareness into meaningful action remains a challenge. The most significant barrier is a lack of resources — particularly time, budget, and skilled personnel — which often stalls momentum.
Additionally, lack of in-house knowledge or expertise and internal resistance can hold organizations back. This underscores the need for practical tools, clear guidance, and shared best practices to help progress.
Moreover, without leadership commitment and clear accountability, digital sustainability efforts are at risk of staying on the sidelines. To move forward, senior executives must not only make sufficient resources available, but must also invest them in the right people and culture to drive lasting change.
Understanding digital assets is a universal financial concern
The survey respondents not only represented a wide variety of organizations in terms of size and sectors. Additionally, their own roles ranged from digital specialists to general management, showing that awareness is growing beyond traditional departments such as IT or sustainability. Digital sustainability is clearly becoming a cross-functional concern that touches nearly every part of an organization: from procurement and operations to human resource, communications, and senior leadership.
This diversity suggests that digital sustainability is not only a shared challenge but also a shared opportunity. Recognizing the cross-functional relevance of digital sustainability is key to building truly future-ready organizations. The challenge now is to move from recognition to action. By embedding digital-sustainability thinking into their strategic decision-making, organizations can stay optimally prepared in the fast-changing digital era, securing a competitive edge.
Digital asset strategy requires a holistic and open-minded approach
Current developments, ranging from climate targets and energy concerns to AI regulation and data ethics, demand a holistic approach to digital sustainability. When innovating, organizations should aim for solutions that not only reduce environmental impact, but also use data responsibly and inclusively — that is, in ways that protect privacy, prevent misuse, and ensure that diverse communities are fairly represented and benefit equally from digital systems.
Likewise, efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of digital operations should be aligned with broader values: transparency, fairness, and long-term value creation.
Parallels can be seen with the early days of the IT revolution in the 1980s and 1990s, when IT managers were part of the finance or even facility management department, before the more comprehensive role of CIO had emerged.
Today, organizations need to find a way of preventing fragmented approaches across departments to ensure coherent decision-making with regard to digital innovations, data, and AI. Embedding digital sustainability into day-to-day digital decision-making promotes coherent strategies and helps translate awareness into tangible, measurable outcomes.