Imagine a near-future Europe, where two colossal figures stand tall over the continent’s landscape. One, a sleek, gleaming robot representing the Digital Strategy, promises efficiency and innovation. The other, a towering tree with leaves of solar panels, embodies the Green Deal’s vision of sustainability.

Our story begins with these titans working in harmony, their strengths complementing each other. The robot’s advanced algorithms optimize the tree’s energy production, while the tree provides clean power to fuel the robot’s operations. Citizens marvel at this synergy, as smart cities bloom and sustainable technologies flourish.

But as our tale unfolds, we see the challenges emerge. The robot’s insatiable appetite for data threatens to consume more energy than the tree can produce. The tree’s growth sometimes interferes with the robot’s wireless signals. Citizens begin to worry: Can these titans truly coexist?

We follow Eva, a young EU policy advisor, as she navigates this complex landscape. She witnesses the benefits of the titans’ cooperation: farmers using AI to reduce water waste, electric cars autonomously finding the most eco-friendly routes, and virtual reality reducing the need for resource-intensive physical products.

However, Eva also confronts the shadows cast by these giants. She visits a town where traditional industries are displaced by automation, leaving workers struggling to find their place in the new digital-green economy. She debates with privacy advocates concerned about the data collected by smart environmental sensors.

As tensions rise, some call for choosing one titan over the other. But Eva envisions a different path. She embarks on a journey across Europe, seeking wisdom from innovators, environmentalists, policymakers, and citizens. Each conversation adds a piece to the puzzle.

In Brussels, Eva presents a bold plan to harmonize the titans’ actions. She proposes adaptive policies that evolve with technological advancements, education initiatives that blend digital skills with environmental consciousness, and collaborative platforms where diverse stakeholders can shape the future together.

The path forward isn’t easy. Eva and her allies face resistance, setbacks, and unforeseen challenges. But gradually, they begin to see change. The robot learns to operate more efficiently, reducing its energy demands. The tree’s growth becomes more strategic, enhancing rather than hindering digital infrastructure.

As our story concludes, we zoom out to see Europe transformed. The titans no longer stand apart but are intertwined, forming a new entity that represents a truly sustainable digital society. Citizens are empowered, industries are revitalized, and Europe leads the world in balancing technological progress with environmental stewardship.

Eva, now a senior EU leader, watches a group of children play in a park. As they use tablets to identify local plants and calculate their carbon absorption, she smiles, knowing that for them, the digital and the green are not separate strategies, but simply the way the world works.

This is the first Chapter of the Europe’s Digital and Green Ambitions Trilogy

These stories are the fruit of a reflection on the impact of the European Digital and Green strategies. The purpose is to shed light into the objectives and expectations of the European strategies in these intertwined. Any character, city and action are fictitious. Image produced with the support of AI.

References:

Shaping Europe’s digital future — Green digital sector: https://bit.ly/3L7UGHL

How sustainable digital technologies could enable a carbon-neutral EU by 2050: https://bit.ly/4eJO9Rf

Towards a green & digital future (JRC study): https://bit.ly/3W3xHnF