1. Introduction

Abstract

Humanity is facing outstanding challenges in ensuring world-wide peace, managing global exchange of people and goods without health risks, reducing poverty while increasing equity and inclusion, minimizing climate change, and redesigning the socio-economic system so it contributes to good life for all within planetary boundaries. Information and communication technology (ICT) is often included as a key ingredient in proposed solutions to these challenges. The book covers theories and skills that will allow students, researchers and practitioners to deepen into the interrelation between ICT, society and the natural environment, to critically assess the roles of ICT at the organizational and systemic levels, its capability to be part of the solutions, and also the ethical trade-offs it entails. Responsible ICT focuses on the social and environmental, positive and negative impacts of ICT, and introduces ethical reflections on all the stages of the ICT lifecycle. This first chapter presents the context, motivation and structure of the book.