Traditionally, organisations have prioritised systems that favour quarterly results over long-term growth, focusing on efficiency and maximising profits for shareholders. But this has left them brittle. Short-termism has entrenched systemic inequities, making it harder for organisations to adapt and reducing their resilience against a backdrop of increasing volatility and shifting stakeholder expectations.
Addressing resilience can no longer wait until a crisis hits. Nor is optimising existing systems enough to survive in this new age of megatrends and ever-evolving technology. Leaders must shift towards building new, more sustainable systems and proactively embedding resilience into every aspect of their operations, from executive decision-making to everyday culture. This is the call to action of Digital Sustainability: Designing Resilient Digital Systems (Kogan Page) by Dr Catherine Mulligan and Shivam Kishore, a playbook for using digital technologies as critical enablers of resilience, exploring how they can accelerate learning from disruption, foster adaptability, and deliver services that improve the quality of life for all.
Mulligan is an internationally recognised expert on digital technologies, sustainability, and resilience with over 20 years of experience across research, policy, and practice. Kishore – a senior adviser on Digital Transformation for the UN’s Environment Programme – has led digital transformation initiatives across private and public sectors, and advised governments on national digital and data policies and governance. Digital Sustainability synthesises their on-the-ground expertise to provide readers with practical frameworks for using groundbreaking technologies, including AI, blockchain, and the Internet of Things, to build resilience, govern innovation responsibly, and create enduring and measurable environmental, social, and economic value.
Deployment of digital technologies alone can’t create resilience. Digital Sustainability walks readers through how to govern, direct, and cultivate them with intention at all levels – across economies, industries, and organisations. From the foundations of understanding emerging technologies and why resilience is important to our future, to the dangers of digital monopolies and the importance of modular systems, the book explores the potential of technologies and how to integrate sustainability into core digital transformation decisions.
Through their Three-Lens Strategy, the authors introduce a way of structuring strategic decisions by looking within the organisation, across the industry and out towards the wider ecosystem. This broader view includes understanding the fundamental megatrends shaping our future, such as rapid urbanisation and resource scarcity, helping organisations anticipate challenges and capitalise on opportunities beyond their immediate boundaries. Supported by real-world examples and robust models in every chapter, Digital Sustainability offers actionable solutions, identifying areas such as the often-overlooked barriers that prevent organisations from becoming resilient, the pitfalls to avoid during scenario modelling, and the five pillars needed for sustainable digital transformation.
Mulligan and Kishore demonstrate that, when shaped with purpose, digital technologies are some of the most powerful tools we have to strengthen and reshape our world for the better. Their call to change systems and put public good at the centre of technological ambitions is clear. Digital Sustainability is a much-needed strategic guide for senior leaders, policymakers, and consultants seeking to push past short-termism and align advanced technologies with long-term resilience, responsible governance, and enduring performance.
Digital Sustainability by Catherine Mulligan and Shivam Kishore is available from 3rd August 2026.
