Abstract
The goals of ethics and sustainability are interdependent and interconnected where the basic principle refers to that people should live in a way that considers and protects the needs of both present and future generations. This chapter addresses the requirements as they emerge in digital systems, including design guidelines, strategy, ethical issues in sourcing, and general concerns regarding the convergence of the latter in the digital systems sectors, where technological development affects critical ethical and environmental issues. As the sustainable development moves beyond the ecological impacts, this chapter describes the key requirements for the ethical development of digital systems. The topics which are analyzed range from ethics, material sourcing, life cycle assessment, digital technologies, human-centered design, regulatory frameworks, and governance initiatives. Drawing on a wide range of expert sources, including policy frameworks, academic research, technical reports from relevant bodies, and industry practice, this chapter demonstrates how governments, industries, and educational institutions are promoting technological progress in accordance with sustainability goals as established by relevant global bodies to ensure quality of life, ethics, well-being, equity, and justice. Through an interdisciplinary lens, it offers design principles, best practices, and approaches for integrating ethics and sustainability into the life cycle of digital technologies. Finally, the chapter provides insights into how ethical awareness, legislation, and sustainable thinking can lead to a socially responsible and ecologically sustainable future for the entire ecosystem.