This paper seeks to contribute towards the construction and application of a method to assess the long-term impact of the development of technologies on the environment. The paper identifies the effect of three pervasive technologies - biotechnology, information technology and nanotechnology - on the production of a range of sectors and their consequent environmental effects. The sectors are selected according to taxonomies of their technological characteristics. The technological impact is assessed qualitatively in terms of changes in production scale and resource intensity and their resulting impact on industrial greenhouse gas emissions.
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