The social shaping of technology: Lessons for eco-innovators

A range of innovative technologies and applications offer exciting opportunities to address environmental issues. This is particularly relevant to computers and Information Technology (IT) more generally where new computational techniques and approaches to supporting business decision making have the potential to not only redress the carbon cost of that particular industry, but offer carbon savings to the broader community. In the following discussion paper we provide a overview of ways that insights from the interdisciplinary field of STS (Science and Technology Studies or Science Technology and Society) might assist eco-innovators in the IT sector. We identify four interlocking themes emerging from STS scholarship, drawing in particular on studies that have examined the links between technological change, environmental issues and IT that are of relevance. These are discussed and interpreted in the light of the theme of the paper