Green Digital Transition and Sustainable Technology Supply Chains in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the digital economy poses dual challenges for the Mediterranean region: managing the surging energy and cooling demands of cloud infrastructure and mitigating electronic waste (e-waste) within fragile coastal ecosystems. This paper adopts a comparative qualitative synthesis of publicly available corporate sustainability disclosures, institutional environmental evidence, scientific and policy literature, and European Union regulatory sources to examine how the corporate models of Microsoft Corporation and Apple Inc. interact with sustainability challenges in the Mediterranean context. By contrasting Microsoft’s cloud-first, R&D-driven infrastructure expansion with Apple’s globally distributed, supplier-heavy hardware production model, we analyze key environmental risk vectors – specifically Scope 3 emissions, water scarcity in data center cooling, and e-waste management under the EU Circular Economy Framework. Ultimately, the study offers actionable policy and managerial recommendations for implementing Green IT and sustainable supply chain practices across Southern Europe and the wider Mediterranean policy context.