Digital sustainability—sounds like a buzzword, right? It's about keeping our online lives environmentally friendly, managing technology responsibly and reducing the negative impacts of techn. Every Google search, TikTok scroll and ChatGPT conversation uses energy. The tech industry is one of the biggest energy consumers worldwide, data centres overconsume energy and old devices pile up as waste to be processed.
In recent years, awareness about digital sustainability has increased (even by reading this blog, you may be gaining or increasing awareness!). As awareness has increased, the public has taken interest and increased the level of accountability about being digitally sustainable.
Specific business areas such as the energy sector, technology sector, consultancy, green start-ups particularly value digital sustainability. It can be a competitive advantage to be informed about and contribute to digital sustainability if you are pursuing a career impacted by digital sustainability.
As we exist in an increasingly digital environment, digital skills a valuable to a wide range of sectors and careers beyond what was mentioned. Matthew Sloan is a Student Employability Coaches in the University of Bath careers centre. As a student career specialist, we asked him for more information about the employability factor of digital sustainability.
“As digital sustainability becomes a prevalent part of many employers’ values, being able to demonstrate this in an application can enhance your chances of getting an interview. The best way to explain that your values align with a company is to show it! Never just state that you care about digital sustainability, say when you have cared. If you’ve made code or data more energy efficient or have done research into the company’s digital sustainability initiatives, show it off.
Cover letters are a great way to show your values and experiences beyond a CV. This is your opportunity to go into depth about your experiences.”
So how can students engage with digital sustainability? University of Bath students can gain digital sustainability skills through the Skills Centres. A Digital Sustainability Workflow has been released to students specifically about Digital sustainability to equip them with knowledge and an employability edge. If you want to boost your CV and experiences, this is a great way to get started.
Across the university there are opportunities to actively engage with sustainability such as the Vertically Integrated Projects, Climate Ambassador Scheme and Climate Literacy Course.
To read how one student Tatiana has taken climate action, read this blog: How I’ve taken action against climate change as a University of Bath Climate Champion | Climate Action
For more information about sustainability opportunities for students visit The Students' Guide to Climate Action.
Aside from active projects, it is possible to make an impact through social media. Demonstrate your awareness and involvement with digital sustainability to employers by joining online communities, taking part in virtual webinars and events, and sharing or creating informative posts about the topic. Online presence is an important part of personal branding, and joining online communities can expand your network.
What step can you take today to make digital sustainability a key part of your personal and professional journey?
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