Expressing Sustainability in ICT Systems: Resource Usage, Accountability, and Adaptability
Abstract
Foundational and rather conceptual approaches, such as the Brundtland definition and the three-pillar model, provide valuable high-level principles for expressing sustainability in general settings. However, the lack of specificity challenges their application in complex technical domains such as telecommunications and future 6G systems, for instance, during system design or configuration. This paper addresses this challenge by building on these frameworks while incorporating insights from planetary boundaries, Doughnut Economics, and resilience thinking. Specifically, we propose three context-specific guiding principles for sustainability: efficient resource utilization, accountability to all stakeholders, and design for adaptability and serviceability. By translating otherwise abstract sustainability principles into comprehensible criteria directly applicable to ICT infrastructures and communication networks, this framework helps close the gap between normative sustainability goals and concrete design choices, supporting more informed decision-making in digital infrastructures.
Andreas Florath
Matthias Rüb
Michael Zentarra
Benedikt Veith
Christian van Sloun, M.Sc.
Researcher
Dr. rer. nat. Jan Pennekamp
Postdoctoral Researcher / Staff Scientist
Klaus Wehrle
Head of Group