Abstract
Insufficient attention is currently being paid to the connection between the digital transition and sustainability. Experts argue that the new and emerging technological opportunities to monitor and protect planetary health via digital means must be seized. Yet, as the adoption and use of digital technologies drives economic, social and environmental changes worldwide, concerns have also been raised that the digital transition must not cause further environmental damage. This study will identify and challenge current assumptions around the digital transition, such as expectations that digital is solely an enabling factor towards net zero goals. Potential positive and negative impacts of the digital transition for sustainability will be identified, and a problematisation approach will be applied in designing research questions and study focus for the next stage of the study. A critical literature review is underway to explore existing assumptions; an alternative set of assumptions will be developed and deployed through the Delphi methodology in the next phase. The study aims to elaborate on the ways in which the digital transition can enable positive engagement with the net zero transition in the future.