Carsten Horn & Ulrike Felt

The concept of the “twin transition” has emerged as the latest buzzword in European Commission (EC) policy documents, spanning from industrial strategy to pandemic recovery plans and zero-pollution initiatives. Rooted in the vision spelled out in the European ‘Green Deal’, it presents a narrative that promises multiple benefits: not only do the green and digital transitions complement and reinforce each other, but they are also anticipated to enhance the EU’s competitiveness, generate new sustainable jobs, and sustain economic growth.

Drawing on policy documents from the EC and member states, interviews with policymakers, industry experts, and civil society representatives, as well as ethnographic research conducted at a data center conference, our analysis delves into the discourse surrounding the twin transition.

On one hand, we explore situated imaginaries of the twin transition. In Austria, this perspective reveals its integration within a broader state transformation where the state assumes centralized control over data. On the other hand, we focus on the implementation of these visions. In Ireland, this sheds light on how the twin transition serves as justification for the burgeoning data center industry, which is beginning to face resistance from the public.

Image credit: adapted from Royal Schiphol Group and PA Consulting; https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/twin-transition-playbook-3-phases-to-accelerate-sustainable-digitization/