Today we are experiencing what has come to be called the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, in which digitalisation is one of its most important pillars, while at the same time we are on the verge of a green transition towards a decarbonised and environmentally friendly economy.
The digital (or smart) transition is a major driver of the current transformation of cities and refers to the application of smart systems, sensor networks, IoT, cloud computing, big data, blockchain and AI that change all urban ecosystems. The green transition is another important driver of urban transformation with a systemic impact. Guided by objectives of sustainability, circularity, clean energy, and actions to mitigate climate change, it broadens the horizon of urban transformation due to its transversal character across ecosystems, science disciplines, and spatial scales.
This double transition or Twin Transition is the key to decarbonising the economy and adopting a circular development model, transforming linear industrial value chains to minimise waste and pollution, making better use of the waste generated and guaranteeing environmental standards.
A twin transition approach recognizes that there is a huge and largely untapped opportunity for technology and data to drive sustainability goals. Rather than treating digital and sustainability in isolation, a twin transition strategy combines these critical functions to unlock huge benefits in terms of efficiency and productivity. The twin transition can make a positive impact by ‘greening’ technology, data assets and infrastructures while accelerating sustainability across the organization.
How can Vocational Education and Training help this transition?
Using the smart and green city (SGC) concept, a recent policy brief by Cedefop analyses how vocational education and training (VET) can help cities become smarter and greener, thus facilitating the European Green Deal (EGD), the EU’s growth strategy and policy response to the challenges related to climate change and environmental degradation.
The EGD sets the ground for the EU to become a competitive and resource-efficient economy with net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while ensuring a just transition for all.
A Cedefop skills forecast scenario, which looked at the implications of the EGD up to 2030 from a VET and skills perspective, shows that skills formation – both initial and during working life – will be crucial for filling the additional jobs created and enabling workers to transition into greener sectors and occupations.
Resources to learn more
Read here about the Smart Specialisation Strategy, a very interrelated policy, and how Materahub is helping.
To encourage the adoption of sustainable digitization, Royal Schiphol Group and PA Consulting have partnered to co-produce the Twin Transition Playbook. The playbook provides business leaders with the guidance and tools needed to build a successful twin transition strategy. Broken down into three major phases and seven bitesize steps, the playbook is a living document that will be iteratively improved based on adopters’ feedback.
