For this reason, IAM recently published The Everything Manifesto – a thought experiment created to explore how organisations, designers and citizens can change the digital economy to address the environmental emergency.
A clear opportunity for tech brands has emerged. The urge to decarbonise the digital economy is not only about responsibility, sustainability and common sense but also about leading humanity in a historic transition from running on a singular dominant operating system of value extraction and unsustainable growth of profit for the few, to running on plural operating systems of renewable value creation and just enough profit focusing on the growth of total planetary wellbeing.
In the context of the emergency, society will soon measure the relevance and value of tech brands based on their values, commitments and bold actions and less by their market valuations, PR stunts or good intentions. To encourage this thinking, here are three hypothetical questions that leaders, employees, investors and consumers of tech brands can use to navigate this new decade and redesign for good the digital economy:
1) What if tech brands transition from obsolescence to responsibility?
2) What if tech brands transition from user acquisition to citizen empowerment?
3) What if tech brands transition from profitability to solidarity?
These questions are just a sample of the creative challenges that tech companies and other businesses can choose to guide their agenda for the 2020s. A new generation of leaders in companies such as IKEA, Microsoft or even oil giants such as Repsol and BP are already experimenting with proposals and long-term commitments to these questions.
With collective critical hope, employees, investors and all citizens can demand a new meaning of value with their everyday life choices because, while 'This really now is an emergency' – we stand by this statement: we cannot let the fear of letting fear dictate the futures of the planet dictate the futures of the planet.
From March 19–21, 400 innovative thinkers will address this question at IAM Weekend 2020, a creative summit held annually in Barcelona. For more information, tickets, and to discover the speaker line-up click here.
