Pressing Need and Strategic Opportunity to Align Europe’s Priorities

This policy brief highlights the pressing need for the European Union to integrate environmental sustainability into its approach to digital sovereignty. The concept of digital sovereignty is multifaceted, encompassing democracy, security, and economic competitiveness. However, the growing body of evidence on the environmental implications of digital transformation, such as resource extraction, energy consumption, and e-waste generation, has been insufficiently addressed in digital sovereignty policy debates. The brief emphasizes that a sustainable digital sovereignty strategy can mitigate environmental impacts, ensure strategic autonomy, and promote a thriving economy. It suggests that the EU should prioritize research and development of low-resource technologies, invest in public infrastructure and public-private partnerships, and bind low-resource and circularity principles across the technology stack. The brief also highlights the importance of addressing uncertainty and non-uniformity in metrics, setting measurement and reporting standards for resource consumption data, and proactively engaging in global collaboration to set and monitor environmental and labor standards. Additionally, it recommends using public procurement strategically to implement sustainable digital sovereignty policies and distinguishing between short-term and long-term strategies. Ultimately, the brief argues that a sustainable approach to digital sovereignty is essential for a resilient and thriving Europe, and that failing to account for and integrate the environment strategically can threaten the EU's digital transformation and global influence. By adopting a sustainable digital sovereignty approach, the EU can create a competitive advantage, strengthen international cooperation, and prioritize democratic and equitable approaches to digital transformation.

COLOM Anna;  POHLE Julia;  THABIT GONZALEZ Sara;  BACCO F. Manlio;  DI MARCO Diletta;  MATHIEUX Fabrice; 

2026-07-09

European Commission

JRC147383

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC147383,