Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era (REC²)
The Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era (REC²) cluster of excellence seeks to fundamentally transform how electronic devices are conceived, designed, produced, used, and disposed of. Recognizing electronics as both enablers of climate change solutions and contributors to the crisis through high energy demand, resource depletion, and mounting e-waste, REC² aims to embed sustainability into every technological level. The project will pioneer materials that can be disassembled on demand, support reusable and biodegradable components, and develop energy-efficient, resource-saving system designs. By integrating expertise from natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, economics, and resource management, REC² positions itself as a catalyst for circular and sustainable electronics.
Within REC², an interdisciplinary work package focuses on the social, economic, and ethical, dimensions of responsible electronics. Its central goal is to minimize energy consumption, resource use, and harmful emissions, while also accounting for the diverse perspectives of stakeholders and disciplinary traditions. It establishes the theoretical, methodological, and normative foundations for responsibility in electronics, including the development of a tailored responsibility assessment framework.
Communication science plays a pivotal role in REC² by shaping how responsibility in electronics is defined, shared, and practiced across disciplines and stakeholders. Under the umbrella of responsibility communication, communication science helps translate complex technological innovations into narratives that highlight their ethical, environmental, and societal implications. It enables dialogue between scientists, industry, policymakers, and the public, ensuring that diverse values and concerns are acknowledged in decision-making. Moreover, it supports the co-creation of responsibility frameworks by facilitating transparency, reflexivity, and mutual understanding.