ICT has been recognised as a vital enabler of greater efficiency and sustainability across sectors such as energy, transport, housing and agriculture. However, some policymakers and civil society organisations are expressing concern that the environmental footprint and energy consumption of the ICT sector itself may undermine gains made elsewhere. EU legislative initiatives such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the recently proposed “Right to Repair” Directive aim to tackle this issue at the product level, while other recent proposals also aim to improve the environmental footprint of facilities such as data centres. Additionally, consumer voices are also calling for, in addition to sustainable product design and recyclability, increased durability across the board.

• How is  the EU trying to promote circularity across the ICT supply chain?
• Beyond existing proposals, what other policy and/or corporate initiatives are need to ensure full-lifecycle sustainability of digital products and services?
• What will be the impact of other cross-sector initiatives designed to protect consumers, e.g. “Green Claims” directive?