Ekonomisk tillväxt och koldioxidutsläpp går globalt hand i hand i en samvariation som brådskande måste brytas. Samtidigt går länder idag igenom strukturomvandling från industribaserade till digitala samhällen. Frågan som studeras i denna uppsats är huruvida digitalisering kan minska utsläpp och påverka samvariationen mellan utsläpp och tillväxt. Studien utförs på paneldata om 28 EU-länder under åren 2014 – 2016 i en kvantitativ regressionsanalys, och finner i urvalet en positiv korrelation mellan digitalisering och utsläpp som antyder att ton koldioxidutsläpp per capita ökar med cirka 0,6% när digitaliseringsgrad ökar med 1 enhet. Digitaliseringen försvagar till marginell del det positiva sambandet mellan utsläpp och tillväxt som pekar på att när BNP ökar med 1% ökar ton koldioxidutsläpp per capita med cirka 0,2%. Uppkoppling och integrering av teknologi är digitaliseringsfaktorer som säkerställs ha en positiv korrelation med utsläpp i urvalet, och bör därför, tillsammans med total digitaliseringsgrad, studeras vidare för att potentiellt angripas miljöpolitiskt.

Abstract The purpose of the report is to analyze, if the sustainability EU directives in terms of RoHS Directive, REACH Directive and WEEE Directive and the requirement to reduce carbon dioxide emission have influenced or restricted Ericsson's innovation rate, technology development, profitability, and the competitiveness of the company. The study is made as a qualitative and quantitative case study on how Ericsson's innovation capacity, technology development and competitiveness was affected by the requirement to reduce carbon dioxide emission and how the company has acted upon the EU sustainability directives. Part of the investigation was to quantitative verify if it was a correlation between Ericsson total number of patents per year and the company's investment in research and development, and the  carbon footprint of the company. The result of the study should describe if Ericsson is a good example of the Porter hypothesis and by that respond to the research question. Have the sustainability rules in terms of RoHS Directive, REACH Directive and WEEE Directive and reduction of carbon dioxide emission developed and promoted or reduced Ericsson's pace of innovation, technology development, profitability, and the competitiveness?  The conclusion of the study is that Ericsson has increased its investments since 2017 in research and development and for the last three years Gartner have awarded them as the technical leader and ABI Research has awarded the company as the most sustainable company in the telecom industry. Based on Ericsson innovations and technical development, the company has reduced the carbon footprint with 26 % from 2016 to 2022 and has a goal to become emission free by 2040. Ericsson is an example of the narrow version of the Porter hypothesis.