Future scenarios

After conducting a series of workshops to gather 1000 ideas for a sustainable internet, we identified some of the more ambitious suggestions and redrafted them as high-level future scenarios. These scenarios were picked to inspire fresh thinking around what is possible and desirable. While they began from a "tech sector" perspective, we quickly realised that positive visions require us to expand the scope to socio-political and economic concerns as well.

Through discussion and reflection, we hope these scenarios may expose where there is consensus as well as disagreement among participants, while also narrowing down the slate of scenarios to those that generate the most ideas, potential shared goals and actions.

It’s a thought experiment. Let's imagine a different world, so we can decide which one we actually want to work towards.

In a next step, we aim to develop these headlines into stories in an effort to identify opportunities, shortfalls, and requirements.

A future where…

1. The right to repair is globally protected and the lifecycles of electronics are vastly extended.
2. Environmental protection is a recognised precondition to human life and hence protected as a human right.
3. Pensions, stocks and all other financial benefits for employees are divested from fossil fuels, and all investments are certified as running on renewable energy.
4. Zero waste and the circular economy is the norm.
5. Responsible travel and sustainable events are the default.
6. Learning how to live and work sustainably is part of every level of education.
7. The browser is a change agent to inform, inspire, educate, and promote a sustainable internet.
8. Equitable and sustainable technology is a requirement for commercial success.
9. We achieve science-based targets for the environment and use a globally agreed upon mechanism for carbon accountability.
10. Climate change denial is outlawed and defunded.
11. All tech workers pledge to not exploit natural resources (tech-Hippocratic oath).
12. All citizens participate in a community service programme, allocating a certain amount of time every year, to learn about and implement sustainable practices.
13. Everyone recognises that there is a climate emergency and takes action, moving from paralysis, confusion, or anger to tangible solutions.
14. Design favours green practices over convenience.
15. Artificial intelligence is used to minimise the collection and processing of data, and providers are held to account for their greenhouse gas emissions.