sustainability

Digitalization and sustainability have dominated the media in recent years, but they are rarely thought of together. However, since digitalization poses considerable risks to climate targets due to its high consumption of energy and resources, it is necessary to take measures to make it sustainable and to make good use of its potential, such as increased efficiency. Therefore, Svenja Schulze of the federal environment ministry presented the “Digitalagenda”, which contains 72 measures. In this article, four measures are highlighted and their consequences for companies are worked out.

Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (BC/DLT) have attracted social and scientific attention at least since the success of Bitcoin and Ethereum as so-called cryptocurrencies. This attention leads to multidisciplinary dynamics whose euphoria often leads to a neglect of scientific thoroughness. As one facet, immutability is a core characteristic and often postulated property of the system. However, it is hardly possible to identify an analysis of the counter side, namely the sustainability of this technology. This article deals with different aspects of the sustainability of BC/DLT and relates them to the requirements of BC/DLT.

Data is considered “new gold” or “oil of the 21st century”. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based on it enable us to optimize existing processes in companies and to develop new, disruptive business models. Technological innovations benefit consumers, businesses, society and the environment. But the undisputed benefits and opportunities of digitization are related to risks of misuse of data, ethical issues and the risk of rebound effects. The increasing global interconnectedness of the economy makes nation-state regulations impossible. Companies are therefore called upon to make digitization sustainable right from the start on the basis of a voluntary commitment.

In light of the three major global transformations of globalization, digitalization and sustainabilization industrial production faces new challenges and targets. On the one hand industrial modernization in the direction of digital manufacturing (Industry 4.0) has to cope with the new protectionist policies that have started in the United States as a countermovement to globalization. On the other hand, the new vocal demand for climate protection and environmental quality assurance puts pressure on the industry to align its policies with the demand for ecological modernization. It is essential that industrial policy makers include not only efficiency goals as targets for their investment plans but also environmental quality and social compatibility. Keywords:

Profit is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for long-term business success. Global problems such as climate change, depletion of natural resources and overpopulation, but also local environmental pollution and emphasis on social aspects increase the significance of sustainability for enterprises. Sustainability is already implemented in the guiding principles of all DAX 30 enterprises and accepted as maxim of action by 90 % of Fortune 500 enterprises [1]. Starting from a definition of sustainability, the subsequent contribution discusses sustainability effects of industry 4.0 concerning the economic, ecologic, and social dimension [2].

Industry 4.0 describes the digitization and interconnection of industrial value creation. So far, economic and technological potentials have been considered in particular, while ecological opportunities through industry 4.0 receive less attention. This article examines the ecological potentials of Industry 4.0 in terms of resources, energy consumption, logistics and transport, waste and emissions, from which propositions are derived. The study attempts to better understand of the ecological potentials of Industry 4.0 in order to contribute to more sustainable industrial value creation.

The proliferation of technological innovations in additive manufacturing is accompanied by an increasing awareness of sustainability. In order to achieve an adequate investment methodical support is needed. A set of indicators for sustainable production represents the performance of a technology. Since an evaluation of technologies is subjective individual preferences of decision makers have to be taken into account. Hence, the multiple-criteria decision analysis methodology PROMETHEE is applicable in this context.

This article demonstrates results of a qualitative study in the consumer goods industry. The study shows that translating sustainability into measurable and actionable requirements is a crucial prerequisite for developing products that are more sustainable and successful in the marketplace. However, most companies still struggle with this translation due to a lack of codification of sustainability in their development process.