As governments seek to reduce ICT emissions, costs and waste simultaneously, circular design is emerging as a practical pathway to make digital sustainability operational rather than aspirational. One panel at the GDSA Summit saw public and private sector leaders explored how procurement, user experience, data and international collaboration can help governments move from pilot projects to system-wide change.
Chaired by Diego Bermudez, research and impact fellow, Digital Innovation for the Circular Economy (DICE) Network+, the session brought together perspectives from Defra, industry and international policy (pictured) to examine how circular approaches – particularly remanufactured devices and lifecycle thinking – can be embedded into mainstream digital service delivery.
A central message from the discussion was that circular digital strategies only succeed when they are implemented holistically across culture, procurement, suppliers and users.
Edd Parry, director group infrastructure & operations, Digital Data & Technology Services at Defra, explained that the department has pushed “quite bold strategies,” including a “refurb or remanufactured by default” approach to user devices. However, he stressed that technical policy alone is insufficient:
“You have to take a holistic approach, and you have to think of all aspects, not least culture… you have to have your stakeholders on board… and you also have to have industry on board.”
The panel maintained that end-user experience is the deciding factor in adoption. Devices are deeply personal tools, and sustainability initiatives can quickly fail if they disrupt productivity.
“When this thing gets in the way of you doing your job effectively, buy-in disappears faster than anything,” said Parry.
This was echoed by Steve Haskew, director of sustainability and client engagement at Circular Computing, who argued that circular strategies must never compromise usability.
“The concept of sustainability… only happens where the user experience is not compromised. If the user’s experience is compromised, there are breakages within the concept of sustainability,” he said.
The business case: cost savings, engagement and smarter refresh cycles
While financial pressure remains a key constraint for government, the panel strongly challenged the idea that circular digital strategies are more expensive. Parry highlighted that remanufactured device strategies can be both cheaper and more planful.
“It’s cheaper… and there’s just something inherent in our obligation to spend public money wisely,” he said.
He also noted that Defra has moved away from fixed time-based refresh cycles, instead using performance and planning to extend device lifespans. This shift reduces costs, materials and waste while maintaining service standards.
Unexpectedly, user perception has also been positive.
“The demand for our remanufactured devices has been greater than we anticipated,” he said, adding that strong service experience and a clear sustainability story can increase employee engagement and productivity.
Measurement, data and lifecycle thinking
Robust measurement emerged as a critical enabler of senior leadership buy-in. Ray Knight, head of sustainability services at Atos warned that narrow metrics can drive the wrong decisions.
“If we only start to measure the environmental impact of laptops once it’s in our hand… that’s going to drive a certain type of decision making.”
He said that more than three-quarters of a laptop’s environmental impact sits in manufacturing and transport, meaning lifecycle measurement is essential. When governments measure full lifecycle impacts, they are more likely to extend device life, adopt remanufactured equipment and implement data-driven refresh policies.
Knight also linked measurement directly to governance and accountability:
“It provides the measurable outcomes needed by the senior leaders to say, this is the decision we make… here’s the positive momentum. Let’s keep going.”
Without credible data, he cautioned, sustainability risks being dismissed as “feel good, fluff” rather than a strategic investment.
Procurement as the primary lever for change
The discussion repeatedly returned to procurement as the most powerful tool governments possess to influence circularity at scale.
Ekaterina Smid Gankin, senior circular procurement advisor at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, stressed that ICT supply chains are global and shaped upstream by design decisions. As a result, fragmented national procurement signals can limit impact:
“We have all these different procurement approaches between countries that send different signals, and suppliers adjust… that ultimately leads to more incremental change, rather than systemic one,” she said.
Aligning procurement criteria across governments, she argued, sends clearer and more predictable market signals that encourage suppliers to design repairable, modular and longer-lasting products. She summarised the lifecycle approach simply: focus on “buying less, buying better and using better and using longer.”
Elsewhere, Haskew noted that the sector often focuses heavily on end-of-life recycling, when the greatest leverage sits earlier in the value chain. He also issued a broader warning about resource demand in an increasingly connected world, arguing that governments and suppliers share a responsibility to protect already-mined materials through reuse and lifecycle extension.
Collaboration as the accelerator
Across the session, collaboration was singled out for turning pilots into scalable programmes. Whether through cross-government partnerships, international frameworks or alliances like GDSA, speakers agreed that circular digital transformation cannot be delivered by government alone.
“We need to really push industry partners to share our ambition… we cannot do it as governments alone,” said Parry.
Similarly, Smid Gankin noted that aligned procurement and shared frameworks can help move from ambition to “scalable and resilient, sustainable, circular solutions.”
From pilots to policy: making circular design the default
The panel concluded with a call to action: circular digital strategies will only scale if they are embedded into everyday decision-making, not treated as specialist initiatives. This requires:
- Lifecycle-based measurement and reporting
- Performance-driven device refresh models
- Procurement alignment and market signalling
- Strong user experience and service design
- Cross-sector collaboration
