The seminar ‘Digital environmental policies’ welcomes

Aude-Solveig Epstein

Paris Nanterre University

La régulation environnementale du numérique :

Critique juridique de la “double transition” (twin transition)

The environmental regulation of digital technology: a legal critique of the ‘twin transition’]

The European Union (EU) has recently adopted the “twin transition”—the simultaneous pursuit of digitalization and ecological transformation—as a central tenet of its industrial policy. EU lawmakers assert that digital technologies can enhance environmental protection by optimizing resource use, improving environmental monitoring, and enhancing data-driven sustainability initiatives. However, this optimistic vision of eco-modernization seems to overlook the environmental costs of digitalization, including increased energy and water consumption, resource extraction, and electronic waste. This article critically examines EU legislative efforts within the twin transition framework, focusing on the role of environmental law in enabling society’s digitalization and reducing nature to mere data. It argues that, for the twin transition to move beyond a political slogan and yield tangible ecological benefits, profound legal reforms are essential. Technology regulation must shift away from corporate self-regulation, and environmental lawmakers must reassess the effectiveness of disclosure-based governance. Additionally, data governance frameworks should be reoriented to prioritize sustainability and foster democratic environmental decision-making.

Aude-Solveig Epstein is a Senior Lecturer in Private Law at the University of Paris Nanterre.

Date: Tuesday 13 May, 2025 from 2pm to 4 pm

The seminar will be held by videoconference (without recording). Participation is upon registration only.

Learn more about the seminar’s objectives and program

Photo source: Aude-Solveig Epstein, Linkedin.