Thomai Papadopoulou
Developing an integrated approach of Systems Thinking and Storytelling for understanding the challenges and design intervention for the mitigation of the digital carbon footprint
Net zero pledges are urging nations and organisation worldwide to mitigate their carbon emissions. While this task is already challenging, having to conisder on this the role of the “invisible” and “intangible” digital sector is making the situation more complex. The digital carbon footprint is an ever-growing thread to the sustainability transitions effort and its understanding, not to mention its mitigation requires some novel approaches.
This PhD research investigates an integrated approach to navigate the complexity surrounding the mitigation of the digital carbon footprint in organisations, by combing systems thinking and storytelling. Positioning in the intersection of systems thinking, design thinking, and digital sustainability the study explores the common values that systems thinking and storytelling have and the way that these could work together in order to respond to some of the greatest challenges for sustainability transitions, mainly promoting interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaborations.
The research adopts a design-led approach combining descriptive and exploratory studies with literature review. Initially the study explored the way that systemic design practices and storytelling methods can lead the process from understanding the problematic situation to design interventions for mitigating the digital carbon footprint. Currently the focus is on developing a framework that operationalise systems thinking and unpack storytelling potentials in a structured way.
As this is an ongoing PhD study instead of consolidated results, the project is currently focused on refining its methodological approach. The key challenges include balancing abstraction and action, as well as discuss on the evaluation criteria that could provide metrics to this approach.
Keywords: systems thinking, storytelling, digital decarbonisation, digital carbon footprint, transition to net-zero, ecological transitions, sustainable transitions