ICTs, the Internet and Sustainability: A discussion paper

Rapidly evolving Internet and information and communications technologies (ICT) have transformed every area of life at every level from global to local in almost every country in the world in the 20 years that have passed since the first Rio conference.

This policy brief addresses two issues of critical importance for today's world and future generations:

• the challenge of sustainability in the world economy, society and environment
• the transformations in economy, society, politics and culture that are resulting from the spread of ICTs and especially the Internet

A central question arises from the juxtaposition of these issues: how far and in what ways do we need to change our understanding of sustainability in the light of the information and communications revolution?