Envisioning a Just and Sustainable Digital Future: Expanding Policy Horizons for a Good Digital Society

This report proposes a radical shift in digital policies to prioritise human well-being, environmental sustainability, and participatory democracy. It highlights the limitations of current market-driven approaches and showcases emerging alternative models such as community wealth building, social economy, and regenerative practices. The report shows the narrow focus of current digital policy on either capitalist optimisation or future proofing that seeks to safeguard individuals from the more exploitative aspects of these technologies, arguing instead for expanding policy horizons to support more transformative visions and localised experimentation.

The report explores the potential of digital technologies to upscale post-capitalist approaches and outlines key policy areas, including supporting distributed production networks, promoting collective ownership of digital resources, leveraging AI for environmental sustainability, enhancing democratic participatory governance, and fostering open innovation ecosystems. It emphasises the need for a holistic and participatory approach that engages diverse stakeholders in the design and governance of digital technologies.

Translating these visions into practice requires navigating complex legal, regulatory, and infrastructural barriers while embedding them within a broader narrative of systemic change. The report highlights the importance of resilient, context-specific policies and the role of grassroots experiments in building a global movement towards a just and sustainable digital society. Realising this potential demands bold imagination, inclusive dialogue, an interconnected multi-level approach, and a commitment to empowering communities in shaping their digital futures.