In public debate, the topics of climate protection and sustainable transformation have increasingly faded into the background, even though they can provide structural answers to many current challenges.
We asked our professor Dr. Michael Höbig, programme director of the Master's programme in Digital Transformation & Sustainability, why now is the right time to equip yourself with sound knowledge and digital skills for sustainable development.
No one talks about sustainability anymore – we continue to focus on our own master's programme on the subject. Why?
Every day, the news shows us how important a livable future must be to us. Our master's programme in Digital Transformation & Sustainability offers students the opportunity to start exactly where politics and the public currently fall short – and to play an active role in shaping a sustainable society. The projects and tasks our students work on in their companies show us how important the programme and the education it provides are in today's world.
Where exactly do you see current problems and issues that well-trained young professionals can change in the future?
Take artificial intelligence, for example: AI requires more data centres – and therefore the construction of new power plants. Renewable energies such as wind and solar power plants would be ideal here. Unfortunately, however, nuclear power and even coal are also being considered as energy sources.
Hyperscalers such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and xAI must push for renewables instead of gas-fired power plants, and we as users are called upon to use AI intelligently to reduce computing power. Our students are also investigating these interrelationships. Digital and sustainable don't go together? On the contrary!
The Federal Environment Agency estimates the environmental costs for 2022 at approximately EUR 300 billion – but this is hardly discussed in comparison to the special fund set up by the grand coalition. Events such as heavy rainfall with flooding or the current glacier collapse in Switzerland clearly show us how complex the interrelationships in our environment are. Systemic thinking is required here – and that is what you learn in our degree programme.
The EU has eased the burden on companies by postponing the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) as part of the Omnibus procedure. However, instead of sitting back and relaxing, this time should be used to focus on improvement activities and reporting. This will help companies position themselves vis-à-vis their customers, demonstrate their sustainability credentials to the outside world and build up internal expertise. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, which are not yet as far along the path, can prepare for future requirements by using the simplified VSME standard (Voluntary Sustainability Standards for SMEs).
Your conclusion?
We urgently need more skilled workers who can shape sustainability digitally and entrepreneurially! In addition to the ecological perspective, digitalisation also offers great opportunities for socially disadvantaged people, accessibility and inclusion. These issues must not disappear from the agenda if we are to improve our coexistence. What's more, studies* and scientific research show that more sustainable companies are also more successful economically.
* The interlink between digitalisation, sustainability, and performance: An Italian context (2022) shows positive correlations between sustainability performance and financial performance; the results of PwC's Global Investor Survey 2023, Trust, tech and transformation: Navigating investor priorities indicate that investors consider sustainability to be value-relevant, as a factor that can potentially have a positive impact on financial performance.
If you register for the Master's programme in Digital Transformation & Sustainability by 30 June, you can save 10% with our Early Bird Special. More information: MSc Digital Transformation & Sustainability