Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance
Digital Twins (DTs) are data-driven real-time and multi-faceted representations of real-life physical systems or phenomena. Currently, DTs are developed for use in environmental governance, ranging from DTs of single crops to the planet Earth. By offering up-to-date dynamic simulations, DTs are anti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Earth System Governance |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589811625000424 |
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| author | Paulan Korenhof Brett Metcalfe Adam Henschke |
| author_facet | Paulan Korenhof Brett Metcalfe Adam Henschke |
| author_sort | Paulan Korenhof |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Digital Twins (DTs) are data-driven real-time and multi-faceted representations of real-life physical systems or phenomena. Currently, DTs are developed for use in environmental governance, ranging from DTs of single crops to the planet Earth. By offering up-to-date dynamic simulations, DTs are anticipated to support decision-making in addressing key challenges like ecological degradation and climate change. However, DTs are not neutral tools: they are shaped by human assumptions and values, and bring about changes and power shifts in decision-making processes.In this article, we take in a bird's eye view to identify the different levels and manners in which DTs can reconfigure environmental governance. Building on Korenhof et al. (2021), we conceptualise DTs as cybernetic systems. We trace how these systems affect governance on the levels of information, communication, and control. We conclude that, when used in environmental governance, it is vital to take action to ensure the democratic legitimacy of DTs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e5ab68fe281941328e3a2529e1ead6ce |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2589-8116 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth System Governance |
| spelling | doaj-art-e5ab68fe281941328e3a2529e1ead6ce2025-08-24T05:14:13ZengElsevierEarth System Governance2589-81162025-08-012510027610.1016/j.esg.2025.100276Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governancePaulan Korenhof0Brett Metcalfe1Adam Henschke2Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsPhilosophy Section, University of Twente, the Netherlands; Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies Program, the NetherlandsDigital Twins (DTs) are data-driven real-time and multi-faceted representations of real-life physical systems or phenomena. Currently, DTs are developed for use in environmental governance, ranging from DTs of single crops to the planet Earth. By offering up-to-date dynamic simulations, DTs are anticipated to support decision-making in addressing key challenges like ecological degradation and climate change. However, DTs are not neutral tools: they are shaped by human assumptions and values, and bring about changes and power shifts in decision-making processes.In this article, we take in a bird's eye view to identify the different levels and manners in which DTs can reconfigure environmental governance. Building on Korenhof et al. (2021), we conceptualise DTs as cybernetic systems. We trace how these systems affect governance on the levels of information, communication, and control. We conclude that, when used in environmental governance, it is vital to take action to ensure the democratic legitimacy of DTs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589811625000424Digital twinsEnvironmental governanceInformational turnSocial implications |
| spellingShingle | Paulan Korenhof Brett Metcalfe Adam Henschke Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance Earth System Governance Digital twins Environmental governance Informational turn Social implications |
| title | Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance |
| title_full | Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance |
| title_fullStr | Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance |
| title_short | Cyber-governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance |
| title_sort | cyber governance of the natural world the implications of digital twins in environmental governance |
| topic | Digital twins Environmental governance Informational turn Social implications |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589811625000424 |
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