Collateral transitions. Reassembling societies, data centres and the twin transition

Carsten Horn (Korresp. Autor*in), Ulrike Felt

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelPeer Reviewed

Abstract

The so-called ‘twin transition’ is the latest buzzword in the European Union's (EU) policy discourse. It promotes digital technologies as privileged tools to achieve the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal. Much of the literature focuses on implementations of projects that are both ‘digital’ and ‘green’. By contrast, in this paper, we follow an emerging strand of research that takes the ‘twin transition’-discourse seriously as a (European) policy object. We expand this perspective by exploring how the ‘twin transition’-discourse was translated into two the vastly different political contexts of Austria and Ireland. Our argument is that the timing of this translation shapes the function it plays. In Ireland where the digital transition has already become a material reality in the form of increasingly controversial data centers, it becomes a justification that makes these data centers a part of the solution rather than an environmental problem. In Austria, which perceives itself as in need to catch up with regard to the digital transition, the discourse is shaped by data discussions around the COVID crisis and becomes embroiled in debates about the direction the digital transition should take. Our comparative approach renders visible the diverse environmental and societal consequences of the "twin transition", which we refer to as “collateral transitions.” This challenges the language of two intertwining transitions. We argue that to properly assess the full impact of the ‘twin transition’ and its potentials, we need to attend to these underlying, unintended transitions.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer104122
FachzeitschriftEnvironmental Science and Policy
Jahrgang170
Frühes Online-Datum10 Juni 2025
DOIs
PublikationsstatusElektronische Veröffentlichung vor Drucklegung - 10 Juni 2025

Fördermittel

This research was carried out as part of the research project \u201CInnovation Residues. Modes and Infrastructures of Caring for our Longue-dur\u00E9e Environmental Futures\u201D (INNORES) funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (2023-2027), grant agreement: 1010545.

TrägerTrägernummer
European Research Council1010545

    ÖFOS 2012

    • 509017 Wissenschaftsforschung
    • 509025 Technikforschung
    • 509026 Digitalisierungsforschung

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