Our project supports the mobilization of digital technologies to address some of the most pressing challenges of the Anthropocene, from climate change to biodiversity loss.

As we experience the Anthropocene, societies are becoming more aware of the extent to which human activities have impacted the environment to which constitute this distinct geological change. We believe that, with appropriate safeguards, the tools of the Digital Age can help us address some of the most pressing issues of this new geological era.

Led by Dr. Karen Bakker, our research team studies the impacts of digital technologies on environmental sustainability. Our Smart Earth platform provides a  catalogue of environment-oriented technological innovations: from citizen science apps to drones, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and many more, our database shows a real-time index of how technology is being used to model, monitor and regulate ecosystems across the globe.

The project is motivated by three questions: Could the tools of the Digital Age be mobilized to solve the critical socio-environmental challenges of the Anthropocene, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and water insecurity? What are the potential benefits and pitfalls of Big Tech’s sustainability agenda? And given the dangerous appeal of utopian technology-driven futures, how could we design more inclusive, equitable alternatives?