The sustainability paradox
Rethinking digital technologies in education for a sustainable future
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17832609 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ritesh Chugh (0000-0003-0061-7206, Central Queensland University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-10 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2662-9992 • E-ISSN: 2662-9992 |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1057/s41599-026-06845-5 |
| OpenAlex | W7134979663 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 47 |
Digital technologies in education are frequently positioned as sustainability-enabling because they can reduce travel, paper and printing, and some on-campus energy and space requirements. However, their sustainability profile is more ambiguous when environmental impacts across energy use, devices, and data infrastructures are considered alongside social implications such as unequal access and capability. This opinion paper examines digital education through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities), and SDG 13 (Climate action), using a lifecycle-oriented perspective. It argues that digital education embodies a sustainability paradox: it can expand access and participation while increasing energy demand and material impacts, and it may reinforce inequalities where connectivity, devices, and digital literacy are unevenly distributed. The paper outlines institutional strategies for more sustainable digital education, including sustainability action planning, energy-efficient infrastructure and procurement, circular economy approaches to devices, equity-oriented support for access and capability, and cautious governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. It concludes that sustainability in digital education requires balancing educational benefits with environmental, social, and economic impacts, and positioning institutions to contribute to systemic change beyond campus boundaries
Corporate governance · Digital economy · Digital Literacy · Social sustainability · Sustainability · Sustainability organizations · Sustainability science · Sustainable development · Digital Education and Society · Green IT and Sustainability · Sustainability in Higher Education
Managing the Strategic Transformation of Higher Education through Artificial Intelligence
Transitioning to E-Learning during the Covid-19 pandemic
Service-Learning as a niche innovation in higher education for sustainability
Development, implementation and evaluation of a hybrid study program for sustainability competencies and future skills
Sustainability in Digital Education
Integrating sustainability themes for enhancing interdisciplinarity
A whole-institution approach towards sustainability
Meta-marco de la alfabetización digital
Digital Equity and Accessibility in Higher Education
Covid-19 and Human Connection
Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—toward an agreed-upon reference framework
Whole Institution Approach
Student privacy in learning analytics
Cryptocurrency blockchain and its carbon footprint
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |