Sustainability
Public Interest Partners is guided by the vision of a network of higher education endowments and recognizes digital equity as a basic building block for the development of a regenerative economy, acting as the "nervous system" of a process in which sustainability is the objective. While a regenerative economy aims to restore social and natural capital instead of just minimizing harm, digital equity ensures that all members of society can participate in, contribute to and benefit from this transition. Without digital equity, the shift to a sustainable economy risks leaving marginalized communities behind, worsening existing disparities, such as broadband inequities and local news deserts.
Public Interest Partners supports many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and aligns with the digital equity plans in each state through the $42.45 billion federal grant program. We support the equitable advancement of high speed, reliable and scalable Internet, including the fiber-to-the-home initiatives of the Fiber Broadband Association. Our global expansion plan welcomes members of the FTTH Councils Global Alliance.
Public interest technology, journalism, communications and law practitioners often share an interest in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They harness digital advancements to reduce inequalities, ensure privacy, promote transparency and enhance public service delivery. They focus on creating, monitoring, and regulating "digital public goods" to ensure technology serves humanity rather than just corporate or governmental interests. This collective action can be improved by applying service innovation through user-centered design, open-source solutions and cross-sector collaboration to make services more accessible, equitable and sustainable.
