Digital technologies & Climate Action

Digital technologies impact the environment, but also shape the way society understands and responds to the climate crisis. Increasingly, actors work with data-driven technologies to set narratives that sometimes spread confusion. We advance knowledge and build the capacity of professionals and decision-makers to understand and respond to this influence in the industry through training, residencies, masterclasses, and toolkits.

What happens when digital business models fuel disinformation and delay climate justice? In this must-read piece for Project Syndicate, Lili Fuhr (CIEL) and Stephanie Hankey (Tactical Tech) trace how information pollution powered by Big Tech is quietly derailing meaningful climate action. Read the article here

As part of Tactical Tech’s Everywhere, All the Time exhibition, the Erasing the Internet poster set invites audiences to rethink the invisible infrastructures that keep us constantly connected. Through striking visuals and sharp insights, these posters expose the environmental impact of technologies we take for granted — from energy-hungry data centres to deep-sea cables and satellite networks.

Far from being weightless and virtual, the internet depends on a vast, extractive, and fragile physical ecosystem. These materials help viewers discover the true cost of staying online, reflect on our collective digital dependence, and question who bears the consequences of constant connectivity.

In the exhibition Everything Will Be Fine, Tactical Tech explores how digital technologies mediate our understanding of global emergencies — especially climate change. Through the themes of Digital Panic, Care, Doubt, and Hope, the exhibition investigates how online narratives, misinformation, and algorithmic solutions influence our perception of risk, responsibility, and resilience.

From eco-anxiety amplified by social media to AI-driven climate forecasting tools, the exhibition prompts visitors to question: Who do we trust in times of crisis? What kinds of digital interventions are truly helpful — and which ones distract, divide, or delay action?

From December 2–4, 2024, Tactical Tech’s Influence Industry Project brought together 35 researchers, artists, journalists, community organizers, and communications professionals from 14 countries at Publix House of Journalism in Berlin for the inaugural Digital Influence and Climate Friction Gathering. More information

A Data Detox on the hidden environmental cost of our digital lives. Streaming a video, sending an email, or storing files in the cloud may feel light and effortless — but every click comes with a carbon cost. This Data Detox reveals the often overlooked environmental impact of our online habits, showing how digital technologies already emit more carbon than the aviation industry. More information

Why do we replace perfectly good phones after just a few years? This Data Detox guide challenges the throwaway culture of modern technology, offering insights into how short device lifespans fuel environmental harm and electronic waste. Packed with practical tips for maintaining and repairing your devices, the guide makes a strong case: caring for your tech isn’t just smart — it’s an act of environmental responsibility. Learn how to give your gadgets a longer life and rethink your relationship with electronics. More information

This workshop introduces participants to basic principles of climate change adaptation. It provides guidance and tips on investigating exposure to climate impacts, vulnerabilities and coping capacities that participants can apply to their local context. Participants will gain awareness on the complex relationship between climate change, public policies and societal safety, as well as potential wrongdoing related to climate change adaptation. More information

“Is there a link between your local river drying up and European policies on climate and energy? Do you know which international energy companies are active in your country or region and what their track record on environmental protection is?” (Jelena Prtorić) The Arena Climate Network is an initiative that aims to promote and support “a cross-border mindset when investigating climate issues and develop the tools that would enable journalists, researchers and concerned citizens to collaborate across borders on climate stories.” More information

Floods, cyclones, wildfires, etc. Climate disasters and the damage they cause are increasingly making the news. Too often, however, these events are described as natural phenomena, only remotely fuelled by humanity’s unchecked carbon emissions. While reducing emissions is crucial, this article explores possible pathways for investigating climate disasters and how - or whether - communities can adapt to them. It argues that disasters are not the result of natural hazards, but of concrete decisions and actions from governments, companies, international organizations, and communities. More information

Global warming is not only about melting icebergs or expanding deserts, it happens in our backyard as well. It is actually not about global warming anymore, but about local warming. Ornaldo Gjergji, Data Analyst & Data Journalist at OBC Transeuropa, describes how they developed the Glocal Climate Change dashboard to analyse temperature data for more than 100,000 European municipalities in 35 countries, and how this work helps narrate global phenomena at local level. More information

Follow an investigation into the pollution of European water sources - both freshwater and groundwater - by agriculture, focusing on pollutants such as pesticides and nitrates. More information

How can we distinguish between authentic and insincere green initiatives and claims? Who is really taking climate change seriously and who isn't? What are the red flags, who are the actors, what are their interests and how can the public gain more awareness? This short article summarizes the main discussions points and resources shared during an online Exposing the Invisible event on "Greenwashing or Greenbashing: Investigating Claims of Environmental Sustainability", hosted in April 2023. More information