The eco-digital era^TM research

The Eco-Digital Era^TM: The dual transition to a sustainable and digital economy

Since the proliferation of smartphones and social media in the late 2000s, digital has captured an increasingly large portion of the economy. In this Capgemini Research Institute report, The Eco-Digital Era^TM: The dual transition to a sustainable and digital economy, developed in collaboration with the Digital Value Lab at the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard, we delve in-depth into the digital economy and how, in addition to its business benefits, it has the potential to provide significant environmental and social value.

While the online economy has become a key component of all business activity, there are reasons to believe that what we’ve seen so far is just scratching the surface. E-commerce, electric vehicles, and most recently AI are all areas where, with relatively low adoption but high growth and demand, we can see the untapped potential of digital waiting to be fully realized.

Notably, we are seeing a dual transition towards digital and sustainability emerging, in which sustainability efforts will be supported by a shift toward digital. Showcasing this relationship, digital technologies are expected to contribute more than one-fifth, and up to one-third, of the GHG emissions reduction required by the Paris Agreement by 2030, illustrating their importance to sustainability transformation.

With the eco-digital economy including benefits that extend well beyond improvement in core business activities, it’s imperative for leaders to have a vision for digital transformation at their organizations going forward. As part of this report, we evaluate how organizations can harness the opportunities created by the emerging eco-digital economy, covering digital strategy, cybersecurity, sustainability, and more.

Download our report to find out more about the eco-digital economy and its far-reaching impact.