On 19 November 2025, Fairphone hosted “Scaling Impact: Where Sustainability Meets Sovereignty” at its Amsterdam headquarters. Moderated by Anke Kuipers (Ecosystem Services), the event brought together leaders from government, industry and innovation to explore how Europe can secure digital sovereignty while accelerating environmental sustainability.
This lively and forward-looking program started with a welcome by Anke Kuipers and Mark Beermann from Ecosystem Services, organizers of the event. Followed by Emily Gunter, International Channel Marketing Manager at Fairphone, who explained why Fairphone is more than a phone company and stated: “we are a movement!”.
How can you outperform with sustainability Luke James, Partner Manager at Fairphone
The statement from Emily was further explained by Luke, situating Fairphone’s mission within the broader debate on sustainability and sovereignty. He emphasized that true digital sovereignty requires ethical and transparent supply chains, fair labour conditions, and a redesigned electronics ecosystem that prioritizes longevity over linear consumption.
Luke outlined Fairphone’s model of value creation through responsibility, demonstrating how repairability, modularity and circular-design principles can scale beyond a niche audience. He also stressed the geopolitical tension embedded in global supply chains: access to scarce materials, dependencies on non-European mining regions, and the growing political relevance of critical raw materials. For Europe to remain competitive and values-driven, he argued, sustainability must be embedded not as a marketing choice but as a strategic cornerstone of industrial policy.
In the Q&A following his presentation it was confirmed that not only industry partners are influenced, but also the regulators.
Innovative procurement as a gamechanger
Maurice van Rooijen, innovation-oriented purchasing as strategy advisor for the ministry of Defence
Maurice van Rooijen invited the audience into an interactive session that shifted the discussion to the national security dimension of sustainability and sovereignty. Representing the Ministry of Defence, he explained how the armed forces increasingly rely on advanced digital infrastructure, which in turn depends on secure, traceable, and resilient technology supply chains.
He highlighted that sustainability is not only an environmental requirement but a strategic operational necessity. Energy-efficient systems reduce logistical vulnerabilities; circularity limits dependency on volatile markets; and transparent hardware sourcing enhances security. Maurice underscored the importance of civil-military collaboration, noting that the Ministry works actively with private-sector innovators to integrate greener and more autonomous technologies into defence operations. He encouraged companies to consider security impacts early in product design, not as an afterthought.
Policy and the European context
Corka Scheeringa, Senior Policy Officer – Digital Economy at the Ministery of Economic Affairs
Corka Scheeringa brought a governmental and policy-driven perspective. She introduced the Dutch strategic framework for Digital Open Strategic Autonomy (DOSA), explaining how sustainability and sovereignty are woven into one integrated policy agenda. She also referenced the Twin Transition Action Program, executed jointly across ministries, which aims to position the Netherlands as a European frontrunner in sustainable digitalization.
Her talk addressed several pressing issues:
- the difference between global and European sovereignty,
- the challenge of stimulating open data access and responsible data sharing,
- and the economic reality that Europe, unlike the U.S., cannot rely on vast venture-capital reservoirs.
Given these constraints, Corka argued that Europe must intentionally select its niches, invest strategically, and think creatively about how to motivate national and European companies to build long-term capacity locally. Corka added that on the same day, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Vincent Karremans, presented the Sustainable Digitalisation Action Programme (Actie programma Duurzame Digitalisering) to the House of Representatives (Tweede kamer)”. During the interactive Q&A, she emphasized that governments must adopt new strategic mindsets, not simply optimizing existing systems, but reimagining their foundations.
How sustainability can drive (or hinder) innovation in the technology and cloud infrastructures
Tamzin Wilkinson Sector Lead Benelux Energy & Utilities at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Tamzin offered a deep dive into how AWS approaches sustainability at global scale. She shared that 595 companies have now joined The Climate Pledge and highlighted AWS’s role as the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for five consecutive years.
Key initiatives included:
- 600+ wind and solar projects worldwide
- 100% renewable energy matched to AWS operations, achieved seven years early
- A commitment to becoming water-positive by 2030, with 8 billion liters projected to be returned to communities
- Industry-leading PUE scores (1.15 average, with 1.04 achieved in Europe)
Tamzin also discussed AWS’s work on circularity, including recycled materials in data-center construction and partnerships such as The Ocean Cleanup, transforming recovered ocean plastics into server racks and logistics shelving.
She closed with AWS’s view that sustainability is a shared responsibility between cloud providers and customers. Tools like the Sustainability Exchange and open-data initiatives help organizations build greener digital services on AWS infrastructure.
From vision to action Panel Discussion
With: Luke James, Maurice van Rooijen, Tamzin Wilkinson, and Corka Scheeringa, moderated by Anke Kuipers.
The panel brought together perspectives from Fairphone, innovation procurement, and AWS. Themes included:
- How Europe can balance innovation with resource scarcity
- Tensions between energy needs, spatial constraints, and environmental responsibility
- The role of public-private ecosystems in scaling sustainable technologies
- Whether Europe needs to “think differently” instead of optimizing the status quo
The discussion underscored that sustainability and sovereignty are inherently collective challenges, requiring cross-sector coordination and long-term commitment.
Lessons Learned
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- Sustainability and sovereignty are inseparable.
Ethical supply chains, secure infrastructure, and environmental resilience reinforce each other, they are not competing priorities. - Europe must strategically choose its strengths.
Limited capital means the EU must invest with precision, focusing on niches where it can lead through innovation and values. While stimulating other companies to use more European so money flows will shift from going outside the EU to staying within. - Collaboration is non-negotiable.
Governments, industry, and civil society must work together to redesign (procurement) systems, share data responsibly, and scale solutions beyond pilot projects.
- Sustainability and sovereignty are inseparable.
Call to Action
The discussion concluded with a clear message: adoption starts with choices, and every actor (government, corporation, startup, or consumer) has a role in shaping a more sustainable and sovereign future.
Many thanks to Fairphone for hosting this insightful event and providing a platform for knowledge exchange and networking.
Downloads
Check the presentations here