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Reference Number EP/V042378/1
Title Design Principles and Responsible Innovation for a Sustainable Digital Economy (Paris-DE)
Status Started
Energy Categories Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 100%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 50%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions) 30%;
Other (Energy technology information dissemination) 20%;
Principal Investigator Professor G Blair

Computing
Lancaster University
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 September 2021
End Date 28 February 2025
Duration 42 months
Total Grant Value £895,718
Industrial Sectors Energy; Environment; Information Technologies
Region North West
Programme Digital Economy : Digital Economy
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor G Blair , Computing, Lancaster University (99.995%)
  Other Investigator Professor M Jirotka , Computing Laboratory, University of Oxford (0.001%)
Professor SR (Steve ) Sorrell , School of Business Management &Economics, University of Sussex (0.001%)
Dr B Knowles , Computing, Lancaster University (0.001%)
Dr G Samuel , Social Science, Health and Medicine, King's College London (0.001%)
Dr F Lucivero , Population Health, University of Oxford (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , British Telecommunications Plc (BT) (0.000%)
Project Contact , DEFRA (0.000%)
Project Contact , HORIZON Digital Economy Research (0.000%)
Project Contact , IBM, USA (0.000%)
Project Contact , British Broadcasting Corporation - BBC (0.000%)
Project Contact , Thomas J. Watson Research Center (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Digital technologies have a transformative impact in the economy and wider society. New innovations in Information Communication Technology (ICT) such as the next generation '5G' internet, automation and robotics, and big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have the potential to make a profound societal impact and the pace of development is staggering. The same technologies can though have a negative impact on society, including significantly increasing the carbon emissions related to ICT and thus creating damaging impacts on our environment. Managing this duality between ICT's benefits and risks must be at the heart of future ICT design and innovation - ensuring ICT can continue to bring value to our society and the economy, while keeping ICT innovations from exceeding planetary boundaries. However, there is currently scarce consideration of systemic impacts within ICT innovation, and design processes today lack the information and tools required to embed environmental sustainability into ICT. This project, PARIS-DE, will ensure that the carbon emissions associated with the ICT sector are aligned with the Paris agreement: limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To do this, the PARIS-DE project will develop a digital sustainability framework that systemically considers ICT's impacts and ensures Paris-compliant design through two key concepts: i) an evidence base around carbon emissions in the digital economy, and ii) a responsible innovation approach that targets environmental sustainability, yet maintains key aspects of ICT design that enable societal thriving. Using a range of disciplinary perspectives including computer science, human-centred design, philosophy and ethics and environmental economics, PARIS-DE will develop digital tools that support ICT development within planetary boundaries, and will create, demonstrate and evaluate the digital sustainability framework through three case studies: 1) big data and AI, 2) autonomous systems, and 3) video streaming. These case studies, taken as representative of the digital economy, will allow for an evaluation of different underlying technologies that threaten rising emissions. The case studies will also involve working closely with key stakeholders in ICT innovation (e.g. designers and developers in the ICT sector), ensuring the framework is comprehensive and effective. PARIS-DE will ultimately allow the ICT sector to innovate technology more sustainably and in-line with climate change mitigation targets
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Added to Database 03/11/21