From smarter systems to greener practices, how European businesses are embracing a sustainable digital future

Digitalisation isn't just about businesses upgrading their ICT systems. It's about making them more efficient and innovative, expanding beyond local borders, and saving energy and materials in the process. In other words, it's a fundamental shift driving competitiveness and sustainability, and it's transforming Europe's business landscape.

Digitalisation in numbers

The latest edition of Digitalisation in Europe, the annual publication released by Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - reports that 72 % of all EU businesses have reached a basic level of digital intensity. This means that they're using at least some of the core digital technologies, such as fast internet connections, e-commerce tools and cloud services.

In fact, in 2025:

• 95 % of businesses had broadband internet access.
• 64 % used social media (just 37 % in 2015).
• The percentage of businesses conducting e-sales, while six percentage points higher than 10 years ago, was still relatively low at 25 %. However, e-sales made up 19 % of these businesses' total turnover.

Just a year earlier, in 2024:

• 93 % of businesses used at least one ICT security measure, such as strong password authentication, data backup to a separate location or cloud and network access control.
• 53 % of businesses held online meetings.

Doing it for the environment

While digitalisation can bring environmental advantages, such as reducing material use and improving energy efficiency, it also presents challenges we can't overlook. Data centres, networks and connected devices are contributing to the sector's carbon footprint, and businesses' frequent replacement of equipment exacerbates the growing problem of e-waste.

But all is not lost. According to Eurostat, the EU's ICT sector has been contributing less and less to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants in recent years - despite the sector's growth.

So, to what extent are businesses integrating sustainable practices into their digitalisation efforts? While there is always room for improvement, the report's findings are show that businesses in Europe are on the right track.

In fact, 30 % of all EU businesses used ICT solutions or systems in 2025 to:

• use fewer materials;
• consume less energy; and
• increase the efficiency or proportion of recycled materials in their products or operations.

The countries taking the lead in this were Belgium (42 %) and Denmark (40 %), while Hungary (16 %) and Bulgaria (13 %) had the smallest share of businesses that used ICT with environmental protection in mind. And when the ICT equipment became obsolete:

• 77 % of businesses used electronic waste collection or recycling programmes;
• 49 % kept the equipment in storage;
• 29 % sold it, returned it to lessors or donated it.

As with most advances, ICT tech comes with its benefits and drawbacks. For employers, this means thinking strategically about how digital tools are used: selecting energy-efficient technologies, reducing unnecessary equipment turnover, and making the most of recycling or reuse programmes. These choices not only support sustainability but also strengthen long-term competitiveness.

Take a look at the EURES article on ways to grow your ICT workforce , or read up on how AI can improve the talent acquisition process .

Related links:

Digitalisation in Europe - 2026 edition

Emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from the ICT sector

Three ways for EU companies to grow the ICT workforce

How AI can improve the talent acquisition process

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