technofix

A technofix, also called a technological fix, is the idea that technology can be used to solve social or environmental problems, often with limited need to address underlying political, economic, or cultural causes. It emphasizes engineering, design, and market-based or policy instruments as primary means to resolve issues such as resource depletion, pollution, or climate change.

In discourse, technofix is discussed as a broad category of solutions that rely on technology to decouple harm from development. Proponents point to advances in renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, advanced materials, automation, and data-driven management as ways to reduce impacts while maintaining growth. Critics, however, warn that relying on technofixes can overlook structural factors such as consumption patterns, inequality, governance, and power dynamics.

A key concern is techno-solutionism—the tendency to frame political and social problems as solvable chiefly through technical means. Critics argue this can delay or distract from necessary changes in institutions, behavior, and policy. Rebound effects, where efficiency gains spur greater overall consumption, and path dependence, where existing systems channel outcomes toward certain technologies, are often cited as limits of technofixes.

Technofix remains a central topic in science and technology studies and policy debates. It is used to describe, critique, or refine approaches to sustainability, climate response, and resource management, emphasizing the need for integrated strategies that combine technology with governance, equity, and social change.

See also: technological fix, techno-solutionism, geoengineering, carbon capture and storage, renewable energy, sustainable development, rebound effect.