In a world where the race for economic and technological development of countries and nations is driving the policy choices of decision makers at all levels, research shows that, roughly speaking, since the industrial revolution, a little more than 80 per cent of the growth in per capita income in industrialized countries has been the result of a number of factors, including technology, education, research and leadership. There are, however, various economic theories of the growth of nations, which, even if they do not answer all the questions concerning growth, at least shed some light on the subject.

Technological, organizational, managerial and structural innovation are important variables in the evolution of the production of goods and services, which is the key to economic development. In order to leave nothing to chance in terms of economic and technological development, humanity has understood not only that there is no such thing as fixed development, but that it is a process that is continuous and permanent, in short, it is a dynamic process. The future of humanity therefore depends on this process, which has been called sustainable development.

Therefore, the word “development” alone no longer has the same consonance or the same meaning. For this word to find its meaning, it is now imperative to accompany it with the word “sustainable”. Thus, there is no development if it is not sustainable. So what is sustainable development? What is the relationship between technology and sustainable development? What are the levers on which development can rely to be sustainable? These questions and many others are those that will soon be on the minds of decision makers, researchers in the field of science and technology, and even leaders at all levels of society. According to (Bruntland, 1987) sustainable development is the idea that human societies should live and meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In concrete terms, sustainable development is a way of organizing society in such a way as to enable it to exist in the long term. This implies taking into account both present and future imperatives, such as the preservation of the environment and natural resources or social and economic equity. This definition does not show the influence of technology in the process, but it is of such crucial importance that nowadays, it is necessary to bring it closer to understand the relations that have been woven over time between the followers of technology and the initiators of sustainable development. The principle of sustainable development was born from the “techno-pessimistic” currents of thought. The tone of the discussion was set in an authoritative manner by the Club of Rome and the Meadows Report (Stop Growth) of 1972, which opposed ecological and economic imperatives and supported the thesis of an inevitable decline. This “techno-pessimistic” current supports the idea that the finiteness of natural resources implies a degrowth and a climate change, accompanying in its wake the degradation of biodiversity and the exhaustion of natural resources. However, the concept of sustainable development proposes a contradictory “techno-optimistic” response to the ecological crisis. In 1987, the Brundtland Report, entitled “Our Common Future”, commissioned by the UN for the Earth Summit, defined sustainable development as “a mode of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

This vision, widely accepted today, confirms the institutionalization by the international community of the consideration of environmental concerns. It explicitly highlights the role of technical progress and new technologies in leading humanity towards sustainable development. In this logic, the massive development of new technologies would be able to meet the needs of present and future generations. The dissemination of the concept of sustainable development therefore promotes the development of new technologies favorable to the environment. It is the one that challenges us today as human beings driven by a desire for technological development. It leads us to put technology at the service not only of the environment, but also of the economy and of the rational and intelligent management of our resources, which in reality are not infinite. This principle can be observed today in a number of fields, among others: 1. In the field of energy production We can notice today with a lot of satisfaction that new technologies of energy production gain more and more ground. We can thus quote, Solar Energy, Hydraulic Energy, Wind Turbines. In a much more notorious way, researches are in progress in the field of Marine Energy (Wave Energy, Tidal Energy). This is how they are classified in the so-called green energy sources. 2. In the automotive field Since 1993, a European standard has been established concerning the regulation of polluting emissions from vehicles. Since this date, each car that manufacturers put on the road must meet these obligations, and it is therefore since this period that catalytic converters are mandatory on gasoline vehicles. The introduction of this requirement is a European directive regulating vehicle emissions and is a technical response to a political and environmental problem that had already led to the adoption of draconian standards in the United States, particularly in the State of California (Clean Air Act of 1972). The decision to make it compulsory, as of January 1993, especially on gasoline engines of new vehicles, which produce gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC), requires the installation of a catalytic converter (or catalyst) aimed at eliminating, selecting or reprocessing harmful emissions from the exhaust gases. These catalysts (the first of which were developed in 1974 by the American company General Motors) cause a triple action, hence their name of three-way catalysts: transformation of CO into CO2, NOx into N2 (nitrogen) and CO2, and unburned hydrocarbons into CO2 and H2O (water). In 1997, the catalytic converter became mandatory on diesel engines.

From day to day in several countries within the European Union, this regulation is getting tougher. It is in favor of this hardening that in case of technical control, the rate of CO-CO2 must obligatorily be less or equal to an index of 0,5 otherwise it is the refusal. Moreover, in case of control by the forces of order, if you do not respect the standards, the fine can amount to 7,500 €. In the same framework, since July 1, 2019 in France and, according to (https://www.legifrance.gouv. fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000037838927) the anti-pollution test carried out during the technical control is reinforced on vehicles running on diesel. During this control, the amount of particles emitted by the exhaust is compared to that indicated by the manufacturer. If the homologation values are exceeded, the vehicle is subject to a second inspection within two months. To crown this rigor, Article L. 318-3 of the Highway Code states that “the fact of carrying out transformations on a vehicle which have the effect of removing a pollution control device or degrading its performance” is punishable by a fine of 7,500 €. With these laws that are constantly getting tougher, and with the commitment of politicians in the environmental field, technology has once again come to the rescue of mankind, especially with the electric car, which produces no CO2, no NOx, no HC. With it, we just need to be reassured that the batteries are sufficiently charged, and then, the rest is history.

3. Composite materials make their entry into the field of aviation In the field of aeronautics, the majority use of carbon fiber to the detriment of traditional metal alloys, has for some time made a remarkable entry into the field of aviation, at least civil. Composite materials have become the Achilles’ heel of new generation aircraft such as the Boeing B787, also known as the Dreamliner, which incorporates 50% composite materials, compared to only 12% for its predecessor (Boeing B777). The Dreamliner’s construction process is completely new: this plane is built from composites (plastic-reinforced carbon fiber), rather than aluminum. This means that it is stronger, lighter and faster to build (in theory). Carbon fiber allows us to use 1,500 fewer sheets of aluminum on a fuselage section, to reduce the number of rivets by 80%, and to limit the number of holes drilled in the fuselage to 10,000, compared to one million for the B747. The composite should also allow a 30% saving in maintenance costs, by eliminating the problems of oxidation. It requires 3,000 hours of work for complete maintenance, whereas the B777 required 40,000 hours. Its CO2 production is reduced by 35%, and the noise produced is reduced by almost 40%. We can see that the advantages of carbon fiber are numerous for both airlines and nature.

4. In the computer field Consumerism in the electronic and computer field is at the same time the origin and the support of the current technological boom. However, if we look closely, we could clearly agree with the “techno-pessimists”. And for good reason, a few factual elements such as, for example, the latest Apple IPhone X which will generate nearly 79 kg of CO2 during its life, or these 45 million tons of electronic waste per year, of which only 20% are recycled. This shows the impact of our cell phones, computers, printers and other electronic gadgets on the environment. According to ADEME, the manufacture of a single computer requires 436 kg of fossil fuel, 1.8 tons of materials, 22 kg of chemicals and 1500 liters of water. Moreover, computers are full of toxic substances (dioxins, cadmium, lead) which we do not know what to do with at the end of their life cycle. At this level, the composite is still invited to the discussion, and for several years now, the manufacturers of peripherals have integrated the use of composite materials in their manufacturing process. The Web also has an impact on the environment which is estimated, per person and over a year, at more than 200kg of greenhouse gas emissions. It also uses a very important water resource, nearly 3000 liters of water per year. (The manufacture of equipment, the production of electricity and the cooling of data centers all require water). In short, all the actions that can be carried out via the Internet have a certain impact on the environment. Still according to ADEME, sending an email would emit up to 19 grams of CO2. To rub salt in the wound, the Agency points out that the manufacture of computer equipment is among the main sources of environmental impact with 29% of energy consumption, 54% of greenhouse gas emissions, 61% of water use and 97% of resource depletion. The users’ work environment (computers, screens, external peripherals) and IT services (premises, means of transport and equipment for the people in charge of running the information system) account for between 44% and 66% of the impacts. And contrary to popular belief, the energy consumption of data centers is not the main source of impact. Greenpeace goes even further by declaring: “The pollution generated by the Internet is such that if the Internet were a country, it would be the 6th largest consumer of energy in the world”. End of quote. Faced with all this accusation, the adoption of the cloud, although it would not solve everything, would solve a good part of these problems of resource depletion and ecological risks. This would be achieved through strict regulation of data center creation. If, for example, rules are put in place encouraging several companies to build their common data centers, thus avoiding that each company has its own data center.

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