Mainstreaming the twin green and digital transitions in development cooperation

Bringing together the digital and green transitions holds immense potential for driving positive change. While both transformations are undeniably underway, the challenge lies in integrating these efforts more closely and maximising the synergies between them. 

Digital technologies can act as a powerful catalyst, enabling advancements in climate action, sustainable development and resilience efforts across the board. Players promoting environmental sustainability and climate action – both in the public and private sector – can leverage digital tools and services to achieve more with fewer resources, and thus quickly accelerate and scale their efforts. In enabling the more efficient collection and use of data, digital tools can provide smarter, more effective mitigation and adaptation responses, and increase transparency on progress towards achieving the aims of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the same time, the digital transition must become greener. Digital technologies are increasing the demand for electricity and resources, and present complex waste management challenges. Assuring the success of the twin transition therefore requires the development of more efficient and sustainable digital infrastructure such as green data centres, the strategic use of critical minerals and commodities, and waste reduction and recycling to close resource loops.

Our project Mainstreaming Twin Transitions in Development Cooperation on behalf of GIZ aims to gather practical experience from projects that connect ICT with climate and sustainability topics. After having explored the overall potentials and options for Twin Transition in development cooperation contexts in this policy paper, adelphi is now producing more detailed “deep dive” case studies to understand the impact pathways of existing twin transition projects and capitalise on this knowledge for the portfolios of the GIZ itself and other development actors. Ultimately, these case studies are intended to provide good practices and lessons learned to help scale and leverage Twin Transitions in GIZ partner countries, by providing ideas and guidance that emerge from project implementation.