Innovations in Electronics – Friend or Foe in Achieving Sustainability?

Remarkable developments in electronics were made in the recent decades to reduce the energy consumption of modern societies. Many engineers and scientists are working on sustainability projects with great dedication and are committed to ensuring that future generations can live in balance with the natural resources of our planet, see e.g. the many the articles in IEEE Spectrum Climate Tech Alert. It seems indisputable that technical innovations are essential in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the UN. But is this really the case? This contribution endeavors to answer the question by comparing two example innovations.