‘National Coalition on Sustainable Digitalisation’ calls on government for integrated approach to sustainable digitalisation

• The manifesto (in Dutch) contains a national approach that makes the Netherlands the international leader in sustainable digitalisation
• New coalition NCDD wants long-term vision and short-term action to digitalise more sustainably
• Integrated approach should solve fragmented government policies at the interface of the two major transitions of digitalisation and sustainability.

By developing and applying digital technologies and data, with an eye toward incorporating digital infrastructure and combating climate change, other negative environmental impacts and resource impacts, the Netherlands should internationally become a sustainable digital leader. To this end, the coalition of more than 70 organisations, together with government, business, knowledge institutions and residents, wants to capitalise on existing opportunities, solve bottlenecks and develop a roadmap. This is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable digital infrastructure and minimise the ecological footprint of our digital system.

The new coalition stems from our LEAP initiative. Together with ECP | Platform for the Information Society and the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA), public-private partnerships are continuing to work on the foundations of the Netherlands as an international sustainable digital leader.

Bottlenecks and recommendations in sustainable digitalisation

The coalition identifies six bottlenecks and recommends solutions. These should form the basis for a “Sustainable Digitalisation Roadmap. For example, there is currently inconsistent and fragmented government policy, a lack of figures to guide integrally, as well as an inadequate legislation, fragmented knowledge development and innovation, and a lack of a fair European playing field.

To solve these bottlenecks, the coalition is offering recommendations:

• Unified ownership in the form of a single coordinating ministry
• Drive more on data to gain insights to make the optimal trade-offs at the interface of digitalisation and sustainability
• Adaptation needed of (existing) (transition) laws and regulations that ensure sustainable choices are made as a matter of course
• Increasing knowledge by providing tools, know-how and people
• Will need to make access to innovation more accessible, with a focus on integrating the energy system and digital system, with special attention to software, hardware and data processing
• The Netherlands will also need to become even more visible in the European conversation on sustainable digitalisation.

“The clock is ticking. Digitalisation is an essential part of sustainability and digitalisation must also be sustainable. Our coalition knows better than anyone else what opportunities exist, but also what bottlenecks we need to solve. We cannot do that without this government. It is time for collective decisiveness,” said Eske van Egerschot-Montoya Martinez, Intendant of the National Sustainable Digitalisation Coalition.

Sustainability of digitalisation essential in maintaining leadership position

Digitalisation plays an important role in developing economic resilience. Now and in the future. In addition, it is a key in accelerating economic and environmental sustainability. The Netherlands currently holds a fourth position in the EU leader group, it should secure and build on this position to increase sustainable digitalisation in the future.

“The digital sector has been very active and successful on the topic of sustainability in recent years. We have shown great efficiency improvements in energy and raw materials. To keep doing that in the future, we need to step up and work together with the whole chain. The new coalition is going to help us do that,” said Lotte de Bruijn, director NLdigital.

About the NCDD

The NCDD (National Sustainable Digitalisation Coalition) stems from our LEAP initiative. Together with ECP | Platform for the Information Society and the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA), in a public-private coalition of more than 70 organizations from government, business, knowledge institutions and residents, they are working on the foundations of the Netherlands as an international sustainable digital leader.