Perspectives on the twin transition: Instrumental and institutional linkages between the digital and sustainability transitions

Abstract

A rich academic understanding of the relation between e-governance and sustainable development is crucial for studying the current ‘twin transition’, i.e. the connection between the digital and sustainability transition. An analysis of current literature highlights that there is a strong emphasis on the question how e-governance can be an instrument for realizing sustainable development. This research is important but does not cover all relevant problem areas. Our conceptual analysis extends the dominant focus on the digital and sustainable transitions to include destructive connections – the environmental costs of e-government – and an institutional perspective on e-governance. Developing multiple perspectives on the twin transition is crucial since the current, seemingly unconditional, faith in the power of technology, may hamper a fundamental debate on the contribution of e-governance to sustainable development. This paper concludes with a research agenda that stresses the need to study three key issues: (1) green e-governance as mitigating the environmental costs of e-governance, (2) e-governance as a barrier for the sustainability transition, and (3) the ecology logic as a basis for shaping the twin transition.