Global sustainable development needs advanced electronics

Sustainable development is a balance of economic, environmental and social aspects with the objective to improve quality of life while preserving resources and opportunities for future generations at the same time. The balance of these three pillars is supported by advanced electronics and information communication technology. Technological development over the past two centuries improved the economical conditions for large parts of the global population. From now on technologies and products should be used as an "instrument" for achieving a continuous improvement of economic, social, and environmental conditions on our planet. This objective however can only be achieved when the environmental impact of the technologies and products itself are reduced to a minimum.