<h3>Introduction&nbsp;</h3>
Climate change is the most pressing policy concern of our time, posing the greatest threat to both ecosystems and individuals. Human activity has warmed the planet by approximately 1.1&deg;C above pre-industrial levels, and on the current trajectory temperatures are expected to rise 3.2&deg;C by 2100. To stay within the 1.5&deg;C threshold stipulated by the Paris Agreement, emissions must be reduced by 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, and 60% by 2035, rendering the remaining seven years of this decade decisive (IPCC, 2022). Curbing climate-related existential threats requires a drastic shift in production and consumption patterns (Hotte, 2023).&nbsp;
The world is currently undergoing two major simultaneous transformations: the Green Transition and the Digital Transition, both of which are radically reshaping our economies and societies. Mutually reinforcing this &ldquo;Twin Transition&rdquo; offers an avenue to address the escalating climate crisis.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">Digital Technologies and the Climate Change Nexus&nbsp;</h3>
There is increasing evidence indicating that digital transformation alters the environment, though the exact nature of this impact is subject to fierce debate (Sachs, 2020).&nbsp;
On the one hand, digital advances can be cause for optimism in efforts to reduce carbon emissions (Sachs et al., 2019; Walker et al., 2019): digital efficiencies have the potential to cut global emissions by a fifth by 2030 (WEF, 2022); to facilitate carbon reductions in previously hard-to-abate sectors such as construction, heavy industry and agriculture (Lenhe and Dethier, 2020); while advances in artificial intelligence and analysis of large environmental data sets could identify new patterns and suggest modifications to existing systems - along with earlier prediction of climatic events (Onyango and Ondiek 2021)
But concerns have also been raised about potentially negative environmental consequences of the widespread adoption of these technologies. For instance, the information and communication technology (ICT) sector globally emits between 2.1% and 3.9% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and is anticipated to grow further (Freitag et al., 2021), with electricity consumption projected to increase a full 50% by 2030 (Digital Europe, 2021). The industry&rsquo;s carbon footprint could account for approximately 14% of all global emissions by 2040. If &lsquo;digital&rsquo; were a country, it would be on course to become the world&rsquo;s second largest emitter &ndash; trailing only the United States (BCG, 2021).&nbsp;
At present, digitalization is a necessity, even with its adverse impacts on the environment. Therefore, it must be developed alongside climate change strategies. In this regard, an improved understanding of both the possible linkages and discrepancies, the synergies and the conflicts that arise between the green and digital transitions is of existential importance.
<h3>Green and Digital Transitions: Linkages and Discrepancies&nbsp;</h3>
The Green Transition is the name given to the epochal shift in production and consumption structures currently being developed and executed with the overall aim of enabling humanity to live - and thrive - within planetary boundaries (Rockstrom et al. 2009). It aims to transform unsustainable activities into sustainable ones and provide economic and social gains while confronting the world&rsquo;s most pressing challenges &ndash; spanning from climate change to food security &ndash; without compromising ecological limits (Digital Europe, 2021).&nbsp;
The United Nations Development Program found that countries &ldquo;ignoring the opportunity provided by a &ldquo;green revolution&rdquo; will suffer increased social inequality, civil unrest, and reduced competitiveness&rdquo; (UNDP, 2022).&nbsp;
Similarly, the digital transformation has proven crucial in tackling several economic and social challenges (WEF, 2022). Despite this, increasing digitalization poses a variety of hazards, including social disruption, widening economic and social disparities, security risks, and crucially environmental threats (European Commission,&nbsp;2020).
The points of intersection between these two processes offer multiple opportunities, such as economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, more creative forms of work, and most importantly, furthering climate change actions (Countouris, 2023). Nonetheless, owing to their differences in nature and motives/goals, they may involve potentially controversial policies and actions (Muench et al., 2022). The Green Transition was essentially developed to meet climate neutrality and sustainability targets, as well as decouple economic growth from environmental pollution (Amoroso et al., 2022). Conversely, digital transition is an iterative process of technological change (a self-driving process) driven primarily by the massive economic gains associated with its adoption.
Furthermore, climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, along with digitalization strategies, are typically associated with sources of disparities such as climate injustice and the digital divide (Hotte, 2023).&nbsp;The effects of climate change are intrinsically unevenly distributed: the most vulnerable segments of society bear the brunt of climate change (IPCC 2023). The potential of digitalization also remains substantially untapped with 2.9 billion people are still offline, and many users lack access to the internet worldwide (Global Connectivity Report, 2022). Such gaps/inequalities may provoke social opposition, ultimately hindering the twin transition process that relies heavily on public support. Thus, developing a holistic and integrated approach to coupling the Twin Transitions is critical to avoiding the potential pitfalls and missed opportunities from their uncoordinated advancement.&nbsp;
As of yet, the Green and Digital Transitions have been largely separately pursued, as reflected in their distinct positions within policy agendas (Rabellotti, 2022; Muench et al. 2022). However, a recent policy trend seeks to integrate them into a so-called "Twin Transition" that could yield multiple operational synergies (UNCTAD, 2022). This emerging approach integrates the design and implementation of digital technologies with sustainability efforts, and has recently gained notable momentum. Santaniello, et al. (2022) define it as "an ambitious and large-scale project that aims at transforming contemporary societies, economies and states by strategically twinning the digital and the green transitions.&rdquo; The twinning process does not merely consist of uniting the two transitions, but also involves overhauling policies and changing their objectives, scopes, approaches, and orientations (Muench et al. 2022; Santaniello et al., 2022).
Despite their different approaches and potential conflicts, Green and Digital Transitions can be complementary in reinforcing climate change and sustainability goals, as twinning the two transitions opens room to avoid contradictions between them. Well-structured and well-managed digital technologies can assist economies in efficiently managing resources, achieving economic circularity, and neutralizing the effects of climate change. Moreover, the Green Transition can help meet rising energy demands and decrease the ecological footprint of the ICT sector by mitigating its heavy reliance on infrastructure, non-renewable energy supplies, and materials (Bianchini et al., 2023). The Twin Transition&rsquo;s success, however, hinges on various contextual factors: the associated economic opportunities and costs, job shifts and losses, public acceptance and behavioral changes alongside regulatory and institutional frameworks.
In a nutshell, decarbonization targets are inextricably bound to digitalization (Woelm and Adriaenssens, 2022). Given their magnitude, it is crucial to examine the intricacies of the Green and Digital Transformations as well as the expected ramifications and consequences of their interactions. Both transitions can - and will &ndash; roll out separately, but a combination would capitalize on synergies, mitigate potential tensions and increase the chances of delivering "a sustainable, fair, and competitive future&rdquo; (Muench et al., 2022).
<hr>
References&nbsp;
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</ul>

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