Technology for Sustainability

Today as we move towards a totally globalized and highly networked society, the concept of sustainability supported by the right use of technology is taking a whole new meaning and approach. As you know sustainability is tightly integrated with social and ecological impacts. In fact, the approach entails a culmination of social, cultural, environmental, health and economic aspects; and all facilitated by the right technological services and solutions. It would involve redefining and re-arranging your lifestyle and living conditions, innovations across different sectors, re-alignment and a paradigm shift towards workplace practices and methods, and development and encouragement of new technologies—the basic idea is to make everything sustainable without making a negative impact on the society or economy or ecology.  

I strongly believe that technology will be at the heart of the sustainability movement. Today, we live in a globalized and the highly networked society, and this throws up numerous opportunities as well as equally daunting challenges. And these can be used or tackled based on the appropriate use of technology.

Here’s how I see technology benefiting the sustainability efforts and should be used to create the trends for the future:

• Make technology cost effective and easy so as to enable masses to use it for their upliftment.  
• Use innovative solutions to promote low carbon economy to curb environmental pollution.
• Deliver ICT solutions to take healthcare to the remote places.
• Use tech solutions innovatively, and create markets and opportunities to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people.
• Make telecommunications available and cost effective as it can become a catalyst to propel economic growth.
• Use the appropriate technology to optimize business operations and hence reduce adverse environmental impacts.
• Enable education to reach all and facilitate its growth.
• Provide connectivity to all. A networked society can have positive socio-economic and ecological impact. It can help fight climate, human rights, poverty and other issues that afflict societies across the world.

 There are many more ways that technology can enable the sustainability revolution. Please do feel free to share your thoughts and comments.