The Interplay of ICT and Environment in Small Island States

Abstract

Small islands are particularly vulnerable to environmental impacts, as multiple environmental as well as socio-economic changes are impacting their local communities and especially the most vulnerable segments of their population. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly viewed as an opportunity for small islands to mitigate and adapt to climate change. ICT may help to monitor short-term and long-term climate trends, raise awareness, help protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions. Though the ICT sector has been recognised as crucial in ensuring sustainable development, it is also important to address its potential adverse impacts like energy consumption, electronic waste generation and digital inequality among others. The ICT-environment link is thus rather complex. While there is extensive literature on the ICT-climate change nexus, the evidence remains mixed. The evidence on small island economies is rather scant. The objective of this chapter is to investigate into the ICT and environment linkage for small islands taking on board the specificities of island economies. The Panel Vector Error Correction Model (PVECM) is used on 38 small islands over a period 2000–2020, and the long-run results show that higher use of ICT has resulted in lower carbon emissions.

Citation

Tandrayen-Ragoobur, V., Fauzel, S., Juglal, N. and Jaunoo, B.N. (2024), "The Interplay of ICT and Environment in Small Island States", Crowther, D. and Seifi, S. (Ed.) Social Responsibility, Technology and AI (Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility, Vol. 23), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 203-222. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2043-052320240000023011