Page 61 - Carbon Capitalism and Communication Confronting Climate Crisis

4 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT … 45

internal sustainability practices. This is exemplified by the policy platforms
of major green parties. In Germany, Canada, New Zealand and the UK,
the Greens’ cultural policy has focused on identity, heritage, institutions,
funding, ownership participation and involving artists and cultural workers
in sustainable practices and ideas (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen; The Green
Party of Canada 2015; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 2014).
The US Green Party lacks a cultural policy, except in relation to main-
stream media channels, again with an emphasis on democratic principles,
access, ownership and so on. 6
Intervention in cultural practices plays a key a role in green political
party efforts to meet sustainability goals, but their programs are primarily
focused on resisting commercial culture and the hyper-consumerism that
undermines local participatory culture—a laudable goal, but perversely
exclusive of any reference to greening operating practices themselves. Such
policy platforms only reinforce the idea that the movement for sustainable
development applies beyond the realm of cultural production or artistic
practice.
Similarly, policy discourses and platforms within environmental orga-
nizations fail to acknowledge that their internal practices have social lia-
bilities that directly affect the environment through the material practices
of running a pro-environmental operation (Stonebrook 2014). For
instance, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says that they
“strive to build a cleaner, more sustainable future in our programmatic
efforts, operating practices, and financial management”. But they do not
give details on how they manage their operations in a clean and sus-
tainable manner (National Resources Defense Council 2016).
Greenpeace, by contrast, have posted a clear statement on how they use
100% renewable energy to run ICTs in their Dutch facilities, while
striving for sustainable energy use throughout their worldwide opera-
7
tions. Most green NGOs lack this kind of explicit statement on internal
sustainability activities.
Green citizens look for inspiration and involvement in green organiza-
tions, especially ones that practice what they preach. If green organizations’
internal policies reflect their external mission, they should publicize this fact
with clear governing policies on their internal sustainability efforts and
through transparent accounting practices that demonstrate how well they
balance the benefits of activist and advocacy work with the environmental