Information and Communications Technology in Civil Society Consultations: A Critical Assessment of its Contribution to Accountability in the Anthropocene

Innovative civil society consultation practices that rely on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are flourishing in intergovernmental negotiations on sustainable development. Due to their methodological creativity and scope for wide participation, the Sustainable Development Dialogues (SDDs) organized during the Rio+20 Conference have marked a new era in civil society participation, with renewed prospects for transnational democratic legitimacy. Taking SDDs as the case, this article analyses how the use of ICT in civil society consultations influences legitimacy in earth system governance. In conceptualizing legitimacy, we delineate its main variables, including inclusiveness, transparency and accountability, and their respective indicators. We then empirically assess the SDDs’ online consultation tools against these legitimacy indicators. We argue that, while use of ICT aids in disseminating information and mobilizing civil society, several factors, such as scarce financial resources or time limitations, reduce the legitimacy-enhancing potential of online civil society consultations in governing the Anthropocene.