The Digital4Sustainability Learning Path

The Digital4Sustainability Learning Path, jointly developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) (https://www.unssc.org/), explores the transformational role digital solutions and innovations can play in advancing environmental and social sustainability. In particular, how can digital technologies power the green transition, and how can the digital transition be green? By looking through the lens of the triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—the learning path examines how digital innovations can drive systemic solutions to these intertwined challenges.

There are four modules in this learning path:

• Module 1: Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development: provides an overview of how digital transformation is rapidly reshaping our world. It introduces key concepts, emerging trends, and challenges, and offers real-world examples of how digital tools can drive sustainable development.
• Module 2: Digital Sustainability for Climate Action: focuses on the potential of digital technologies to combat climate change. It discusses opportunities and threats in using digital innovations for climate mitigation and adaptation, supported by examples from around the globe.
• Module 3: Digital Sustainability for Biodiversity Action: provides insights into the opportunities and challenges presented by leveraging digital innovation for biodiversity action. Through real-world examples, this module provides an overview of how digital transformation can be harnessed to protect and sustain our planet's rich variety of life forms. 
• Module 4: Digital Sustainability for Pollution Action: examines the role of digital technologies in addressing pollution. It highlights how emerging digital solutions can drive systemic change to prevent and reduce different types of pollution, with examples of global applications.

Who is this course for? The Digital4Sustainability Learning Path is open to anyone curious to explore the answers to “what is the role technology can play in advancing sustainable outcomes and what steps will be needed to get us there?”.

What will you learn?

Upon successful completion of the learning path, participants will be able to:

• Explain key concepts, including digitalization, digital transformation, and digital sustainability
• Describe the role of digital transformation in countering the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution
• Describe the potential of digital transformation to leverage  sustainability using a systems approach
• Provide real-world examples of the negative impacts of digital transformation and how to mitigate them to ensure sustainability.

How much time do you need to invest?  12 hours (3 hours/ module)

Topics: digitalization, digital transformation, sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, digital divide, triple planetary crisis, digital sustainability

Certificate: The platform will automatically generate a certificate of participation for each module once you have reviewed all pages.

Course Developers: United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC).

Course Providers: Joint partnership between the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN System Staff College (UNSSC) in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the European Union (EU), the Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) and the Office of the UN Technology Envoy. The CODES Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age has inspired the content.

Course Contact: Heike Tuerke/ h.tuerke@unssc.org

License: Copyright

Publication Date: 1 April 2025