BEREC external workshop on understanding digital technologies' sufficiency for greener networks and ICTs

On Wednesday, 16 September 2026, from 10:00 to 16:00 CEST, BEREC will hold an external workshop on understanding the sufficiency of digital technologies for greener networks and ICTs. The workshop is being organised by the BEREC Sustainability Working Group, co-chaired by Mary Sarantopoulou (EETT, Greece) and Tom Nico (Arcep, France), and will take place at the IRG Secretariat, Rue de la Science 14A (3rd floor), 1040 Brussels, Belgium, and online.

Following the workshop, BEREC will publish a summary report. The speakers' presentations and the video recording will be made available after the event.

Background

Digital technologies have become an integral part of modern economies and societies, enabling connectivity, innovation and economic growth. At the same time, digital infrastructures and services are being increasingly recognised as energy- and resource-intensive. The production and use of digital technologies are estimated to account for approximately 8–10% of global electricity consumption, raising important questions on the long-term sustainability of digitalisation.

Although the efficiency of ICT devices and systems continues to improve, these gains are often offset by increased demand, higher levels of connectivity and growing volumes of data traffic. As a result, efficiency improvements alone may not be sufficient to reduce the overall environmental footprint of the digital sector.

Digital sufficiency promotes approaches that reduce unnecessary resource consumption while ensuring that digital technologies continue to support societal and economic needs. This includes optimising software and digital services to minimise data traffic and hardware requirements, extending device longevity and encouraging more conscious and frugal patterns of digital use.

Aim

Against this backdrop, the external workshop on understanding the sufficiency of digital technologies for greener networks and ICTs is intended to be a fact-finding and awareness-raising exercise. The workshop aims to foster a shared understanding of digital sufficiency, to explore its relevance to the ICT and telecommunications sectors, and to identify practical examples, opportunities, and implementation challenges.

The workshop is structured into multiple sessions. The programme will feature introductory presentations to set the scene, presentations of existing initiatives and case studies from academia and institutions, and a roundtable discussion: Beyond efficiency: How to deploy sufficiency in ICTs?

More information about the speakers and the event agenda will follow.

Registration

Register for this workshop by filling out the registration form below. Please note that due to limited seat capacity at the IRG Secretariat, registration for in-person participation will close once the 45 registration limit is reached. Thereafter, registration will be possible for online participation only.

The registration deadline for in-person participation is 10 September 2026 (close of business). The registration deadline for online participation is 15 September 2026 (12:00 CEST).

The connection details will be shared with registered participants one day before the workshop.

Contact

In the case of questions relating to organisational matters, please reach out to us at the following email address: [email protected]

BEREC’s work relating to sustainability

The BEREC Sustainability Working Group aims to enhance awareness and develop expertise on various aspects of sustainability in the digital economy, including electronic communications networks and services. The activities and topics addressed are interlinked with the work of the other BEREC Working Groups.

More information on the BEREC Sustainability Working Group and on BEREC’s work in the area of Sustainability.