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The European Union is currently making great regulatory efforts to shape digital markets. Yet despite existential pressures from environmental crises, little attention is being paid to sustainability goals. In this paper, we argue that the design of digital markets holds great potential for an environmental transformation of the economy. Therefore,...
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... ena mentioned for things other than the Catena-X platform. Thus, our review ended up with the 11 Articles. The 11 articles are the following: (Berg, et. al, 2021), (Garrido, et. al., 2022), (Johann, et. al., 2020), (Langdon and Schweichhart, Data Spaces), (Müller, et. al., 2022), (Ramesohl, et. al., 2022), (Sautter, 2021), (Schulz, et. al., 2022), (Staab, et. al., 2022), (Usländer, et. al., 2021) and (Zhongming, et. al., 2021). A flowchart of our search is available in the Results section ( Figure 1). ...
Despite the hype of the blockchain technology, the implementation and execution of blockchain technologies in sectors beyond cryptocurrency is lagging and below par. Understanding the reasons behind this lag is important to enable addressing any voids and enable making maximum use of the technology. We shed light on this void by trying to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) faced by the use of blockchain technologies in industries beyond crypto, and thereby, draw insights valuable to develop a blockchain platform for healthcare.
... Meanwhile, well-founded findings on this are also urgently needed for the environmental regulation of the digital sector. This should go far beyond climate change mitigation, e.g. in current discourses on supply chain risks in Europe (Hanski et al., 2021), on the establishment of semiconductor production in Europe (Kleinhans, 2021) or on the regulation of digital platform markets (Staab et al., 2022). ...
The application of information and communication technology (ICT) is attributed a decisive role in the necessary reduction of energy and resource demand and associated environmental emissions. However, a closer look at the environmental impact of ICT reveals a contradictory picture: On the one hand, the application of ICT has the potential to reduce environmental impacts and counter climate change. On the other hand, ICT's direct energy and resource demands and their associated environmental impact are substantial. So far, it has not been possible to determine the actual environmental impact of various ICT applications. This is due to the lack of suitable approaches to include higher-order effects such as induction and rebound effects in the life cycle assessment (LCA) of ICT. This thesis aims at addressing this gap.
With a focus on the application of ICT, this thesis therefore investigates how higher-order effects can be integrated into LCA of ICT. Higher-order effects of ICT are those that stem from the application of ICT, for example optimisation, induction or rebound effects. Three research questions were formulated for this purpose. The first was based on a literature review and identified the various challenges of including higher-order environmental effects of ICT into LCA. These challenges included methodological issues with regard to the definition of goal and scope in LCA of ICT, and the lack of empirical data on use-related higher-order effects. ased on these challenges, the second research question considered how higher-order effects can be properly addressed in the goal and scope definition in LCA. To this end, a conceptual framework \emph{The user perspective in LCA} was developed that firstly outlines various user-driven parameters, such as number and choice of products or intensification of use, and secondly relates these parameters to corresponding LCA modelling characteristics, such as definition of functional unit or system boundaries. Finally, the third research question focused on the operationalisation of the conceptual framework and its application in two case studies. The case of smart homes with smart heating in Germany was used to demonstrate the feasibility of the framework and to gain insights into the environmental assessment of smart home systems (SHS) when higher-order effects are also captured.
The study design included the operationalisation of the user-driven parameters, the collection of primary data using an online survey, and the environmental assessment with LCA both of the average SHS in Germany (first case study), and of 375 different SHS in Germany (second case study). For one, findings show that direct environmental effects of the SHS are substantial. For example, heating optimisation in the average SHS must be at least 6\% of the annual heating energy demand over three years in order to balance out the effects of the production and operation of the SHS for the impact categories Climate Change and Primary Energy Demand. Secondly, it was found that user behaviour in the smart home varies greatly and that both the choice of device (induction effect) and the actual heating behaviour (rebound effect) have a decisive influence on the overall environmental performance of the SHS. It follows that the inclusion of user behaviour in LCA of ICT can increase the uncertainty of the results if the data on user behaviour are not appropriately validated. With regard to LCA modelling, it was found that a proper definition of the functional unit is particularly relevant for the integration of higher-order effects into the goal and scope definition. Another challenge can be the handling of multifunctionality when it comes to the inclusion of induction effects.
With the development of the conceptual framework \emph{The user perspective in LCA} and its operationalisation and application to the case of smart homes, this research presented a novel approach to integrating higher-order effects into LCA of ICT. This is particularly relevant when investigating the environmental net saving potential of the application of ICT. Future research can tie in with this, for example in the investigation of higher-order ICT effects in other sectors, in the development of further interdisciplinary approaches for investigating product use behaviour, or in the development of databases with representative behavioural data for product assessment.
... By reducing environmental pollution, road corridor improvements as well as extending the design life of urban roadway, the management of the e-logistics shared model can minimize environment impacts, waste, and increase its scalability and use by all stakeholders. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), the sharing of digital assets autonomously through marketplaces developed from the Economy of Things (EoT), has enabled ubiquitous commercialization of digital assets, immediate liquefaction of the physical assets indexed to be search and traded as online commodities [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. The shared economy has ratified and authenticated the concept of crowdsourcing and partaking of digital assets through digitalized platforms. ...
This paper analyses the shared economy model to sustainably manage the tangible and in- tangible resources of logistics systems. A critical review of literature on the current supply chain management policy and technological platform in current use that supports it was done to suggest a new conceptual framework for logistics processes' sustainable management on a shared economy platform. This was examined according to how the concepts of new technologies influence logistics and the role of sustainable management platforms of the shared economy in enabling greater improved logistics processes. The inductive methodology approach was applied using multi-criteria analysis interpretive research method. The impact of the shared business model on each stakeholder and beneficiary varies according to how resources are consumed and its adoption according to the core business models requirements of each. Current scientific literature does not identify the impact this phenomenon has on companies in different sectors, as there is a lack of detailed analysis and evidence to fill this gap, particularly as the Internet of Things (IoT) monetize digital assets autonomously through the Economy of Things (EoT) marketplaces. From the analysis conducted, the findings provide a concept of the prototype framework required for the shared economy in the e-logistics' ecosystems rather than traditional ones, modelled using multi-criteria analysis interpretive methods as a strategic resource within the shared economy of supply chain management systems.
Digital technologies for the diagnosis of underused timber construction and the reclamation and reuse of wood in timber construction have not been widely deployed. One of the reasons is the need for diagnosis processes with large amounts of data. This paper is a product of the learning process in the Norwegian project SirkTRE, and specifically, the sub-project SirkLåve (Circular Barns), which aims to address the problem of underused and vacant barns and other agricultural buildings in Norway. Moreover, this multiple-case project aims at understanding the feasibility, costs, and benefits of circularity strategies, such as deconstruction and reuse of wood in new projects or renovations. The learning processes draw upon explorative desktop-based research, interviews with key informants, and our own experiments and experiences with various cases of barns. The scope of this paper is the reuse of wood from barns that is deemed ineligible for renovation. This paper describes low-and high-tech methods for surveying redundant buildings to applying extracted components in new designs. This multiple-case study reflects on the preconditions of the context in which these best practices may succeed, as well as on the benefits and the challenges.
Digitalization provides valuable benefits for entities and offers unique opportunities to strategically address challenges associated with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure a sustainable society. This chapter discusses potential cross-fertilization effects between digitalization and sustainability to catalyze the benefits and challenges of digital transformation on the corporate level and SDGs’ perspective by focusing on sustainable practices. This chapter provides valuable insights for professionals and policymakers on the trends of digitalization and how they can support the SDGs that become a global compass for navigating sustainability challenges.KeywordsDigital transformation Digitalization Sustainability Sustainable development goals
Governments around the world, as well as the European Union and United Nations organisations, are currently putting forward new initiatives to govern digital technologies and media infrastructures. However, most of these policy initiatives disregard the broader implications of digitalisation for environmental sustainability and social justice. This report argues that governing the megatrend of digitalisation must step up to today’s societal challenges. Runaway climate change, biodiversity loss, increasing social polarisation and an erosion of democracy require swift and decisive action. The state of scientific knowledge demonstrates that digitalisation, in its current and mainstream form, does not deliver solutions and that incremental changes are insufficient to remedy this situation. What is needed, therefore, is a Digital Reset: a fundamental redirection of the purpose of digital technologies towards a deep sustainability transformation. To this end, governance should follow several principles: Technologies should be built according to regenerative designs and pursue system innovations that advance circularity and sufficiency, improve economic resilience, and foster digital sovereignty and social equity. The report details how the principles can guide the use of digital technologies for deep sustainability ransformations in the following sectors: In agriculture, digital technologies can support a transformation towards locally adapted and ecological farming practices rather than optimising high-impact industrial monocultures. In mobility, governance should responsibly open up data and code and advance those applications and platforms that foster low-carbon multi-modal mobility rather than high-tech automobile transportation. In industry, digital technologies can foster resilient and circular production patterns rather than prolong growth-dependent linear economies. In the energy sector, policymaking should improve the use of digitalisation to support distributed systems based on 100% renewable energy carriers. In the building sector, fostering a new data culture can decrease demand for new construction, reduce energy consumption in the operation of buildings and facilitate circularity in design and refurbishment. Regarding the general consumption of goods and services, policies should mitigate the potential of new digital marketing to spur overconsumption, foster new technologies for sufficiency-oriented consumption habits and move towards greener products and services. Three requirements must be met for digitalisation to work for sustainability: The social and environmental impacts of producing and operating digital devices, infrastructures and data centres must be reduced. To make a difference in the short term, this report presents a combined strategy for digital sufficiency, repairability, circularity, and efficiency. The growth-oriented business models of Big Tech companies must be controlled and eventually replaced by business models that are oriented towards the common good. This report points out three policy pathways that can initiate this transition. The governance of data and artificial intelligence needs to actively pursue an information-based circular economy. This report shows which new institutions are required, and which policies can put data and AI in the service of sustainability. A successful redirection of digitalisation requires decisive policy action and a clear vision of the role of digital technologies for the realisation of decent lives for all people within planetary boundaries.
Governments around the world, as well as the European Union and United Nations organisations, are currently putting forward new initiatives to govern digital technologies and media infrastructures. However, most of these policy initiatives disregard the broader implications of digitalisation for environmental sustainability and social justice.
This report argues that governing the megatrend of digitalisation must step up to today’s societal challenges. Runaway climate change, biodiversity loss, increasing social polarisation and an erosion of democracy require swift and decisive action. The state of scientific knowledge demonstrates that digitalisation, in its current and mainstream form, does not deliver solutions and that incremental changes are insufficient to remedy this situation. What is needed, therefore, is a Digital Reset: a fundamental redirection of the purpose of digital technologies towards a deep sustainability transformation.
To this end, governance should follow several principles: Technologies should be built according to regenerative designs and pursue system innovations that advance circularity and sufficiency, improve economic resilience, and foster digital sovereignty and social equity.
Digitalisation for deep sectoral transformations
The report details how the principles can guide the use of digital technologies for deep sustainability transformations in the following sectors:
● In agriculture, digital technologies can support a transformation towards locally adapted and ecological farming practices rather than optimising high-impact industrial monocultures.
● In mobility, governance should responsibly open up data and code and advance those applications and platforms that foster low-carbon multi-modal mobility rather than high-tech automobile transportation.
● In industry, digital technologies can foster resilient and circular production patterns rather than prolong growth-dependent linear economies.
● In the energy sector, policymaking should improve the use of digitalisation to support distributed systems based on 100% renewable energy carriers.
● In the building sector, fostering a new data culture can decrease demand for new construction, reduce energy consumption in the operation of buildings and facilitate circularity in design and refurbishment.
● Regarding the general consumption of goods and services, policies should mitigate the potential of new digital marketing to spur overconsumption and foster new technologies for sufficiency-oriented consumption habits and move towards greener products and services.
Sustainability-oriented digitalisation
Three requirements must be met for digitalisation to work for sustainability:
1. The social and environmental impacts of producing and operating digital devices, infrastructures and data centres must be reduced. To make a difference in the short term, this report presents a combined strategy for digital sufficiency, repairability, circularity, and efficiency.
2. The growth-oriented business models of Big Tech companies must be controlled and eventually replaced by business models that are oriented towards the common good. This report points out three policy pathways that can initiate this transition.
3. The governance of data and artificial intelligence needs to actively pursue an information-based circular economy. This report shows which new institutions are required, and which policies can put data and AI in the service of sustainability.
A successful redirection of digitalisation requires decisive policy action and a clear vision of the role of digital technologies for the realisation of decent lives for all people within planetary boundaries.
This study examines how the green and digital transitions can be successful. Both the green and the digital transitions are political priorities of the European Commission that will shape our future in the long-term. While these two simultaneous, or ‘twin’, transitions, can reinforce each other in many areas, they are not automatically aligned. For example, digital technologies have substantial environmental footprints that go against the targets of the green transition. This is why a proactive and integrative approach to managing the twin transitions is important to ensure their successful implementation. The goal of this study is to analyse how the European Union can make sure that these two transitions mutually reinforce each other. In doing so, the study focusses on five of the most greenhouse gas emitting sectors: 1) agriculture, 2) buildings and construction, 3) energy, 4) energy-intensive industries, and 5) transport and mobility. Based on this analysis, the report derives key requirements for the success of the
