The digital spirit of green capitalism. How the European Union tries to save ecological modernisation

Sarah Lenz

doi:10.5771/2566-7742-2022-2-166

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- I–II Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis I–II
- 159–165 Introduction to the special issue Katharina Zimmermann, Vincent Gengnagel Katharina Zimmermann, Vincent Gengnagel 159–165
- 166–246 Articles 166–246
  - 166–191 The digital spirit of green capitalism. How the European Union tries to save ecological modernisation Sarah Lenz Sarah Lenz 166–191
  - 192–208 European monetary policy: Between market neutrality and climate change Jenny Preunkert Jenny Preunkert 192–208
  - 209–246 Energy poverty across Europe: Problematisation and policy measures through the lens of energy justice Maddalena Josefin Lamura Maddalena Josefin Lamura 209–246
- 247–291 Essays 247–291
  - 247–261 The European Green Deal and the limits of ecological modernisation Tobias Haas, Felix Syrovatka, Isabel Jürgen Tobias Haas, Felix Syrovatka, Isabel Jürgen 247–261
  - 262–274 Green colonialism in the European Green Deal: Continuities of dependency and the relationship of forces between Europe and Africa Simone Claar Simone Claar 262–274
  - 275–291 Towards a Green New Deal. Lessons after a lost decade Philipp Schepelmann Philipp Schepelmann 275–291
- 292–308 Research notes 292–308
  - 292–303 Green deservingness, green distinction, green democracy? Towards a political sociology of a contested eco-social consensus Vincent Gengnagel, Katharina Zimmermann Vincent Gengnagel, Katharina Zimmermann 292–303
  - 304–308 The Sustainable Welfare and Eco-Social Policy Network Matteo Mandelli, Katharina Bohnenberger, Tuuli Hirvilammi, Katharina Zimmermann Matteo Mandelli, Katharina Bohnenberger, Tuuli Hirvilammi, Katharina Zimmermann 304–308
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Culture, Practice & Europeanization , page 166 - 191

The digital spirit of green capitalism. How the European Union tries to save ecological modernisation

Autoren

Sarah Lenz

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/2566-7742-2022-2-166
- ISSN online: 2566-7742
Abstract

Why, by whom and how is digitalisation and sustainability twinning presently being driven? The paper asks how political, economic and civil society actors are working to legitimise a digital-green modernisation of the economy. It argues that the nexus amounts to revitalising both digital and green modernisation, which are both facing crises of legitimacy. On the one side green modernisation has been criticised for its market-based strategies that create new inequalities and ecological problems while failing to adequately address pre-existing ecological problems. Global digital capitalism, on the other side faces criticism not only for increasing surveillance, but also for the negative impacts that digital technologies have on natural and social environments (consider the rising energy use by data centres and extractivism in the Global South). Documents, speeches, conferences and policy papers of the European Union as well as an Action Plan for Sustainability in the Digital Age worked out by civil society groups, non-profit organisations and business associations serve as an empirical basis. By using the conceptional background of the sociology of justification and situational analysis mapping strategies the paper shows that digitalisation, both on a moral and common good level, on an economic level and on the level of individual self-realisation, endows green modernisation with new action-guiding structures of meaning and thus turn it into a worthwhile, meaningful and “exciting” capitalist endeavor.
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