Due to the advancement of AI technologies, AI-based models now impact every field of study. 103112, 2013. Applications of digital solution in sustainable resource management. Despite the complex association between digital transformation and environmental sustainability, a narrowed search for holistic review in this field gives few results. The Impact of Digital Transformation on Environmental - Hindawi Digital transformation refers to the unprecedented disruptions in society, industry, and organizations stimulated by advances in digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data. Indirect effects: numerous research studies assess the indirect effects of digitalisation and networking on the environment and support the notion that they could contribute to sustainable development. 104, pp. Hence, it is crucial to improve the sustainability regulation and its enforcement. T. Kashiwao, K. Nakayama, S. Ando, K. Ikeda, M. Lee, and A. Bahadori, A neural network-based local rainfall prediction system using meteorological data on the Internet: a case study using data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, Applied Soft Computing, vol. 112, pp. 18, no. Next, in the phase of skimming abstracts and conclusions, the papers that did not discuss environmental sustainability and were not related to digital technologies were excluded. 283, no. Opt not to print. A special emphasis is put on social and environmental sustainability as current research often focuses on the economical dimension. The Essential Components of Digital Transformation M. Abbasi and A. E. Hanandeh, Forecasting municipal solid waste generation using artificial intelligence modelling approaches, Waste Management Series, vol. Thu, 05/05/2022 - 09:00 AM Digital transformation is a long-term solution for reducing harmful practices and lowering businesses' negative impact on the environment. Meanwhile, numerous studies discuss the opportunities and risks that may arise from digitisation and assess the effects of digital technologies on the environment, which can be either positive or negative. 1423, 2016. 9, no. Table 2 shows several criteria defined to discover relevant articles to answer our research questions. Research on the impact of digital transformation on green development Additionally, the rebound effects of digital transformation on the environment involve production and consumption patterns, as well as changes in consumer behaviour and attitudes that need further investigation. 644-645, 2019. 30, Article ID 30719, 2018. 36, no. More importantly, our study's ndings will help us to understand the impacts of digital transformation on environmental sustainability, which could help set policies and goals across nations, which is gravely missing today [14]. Environmental pollution with its health impacts is a fundamental issue for ecological sustainability [77]. Pollution prevention and control are the areas with a slightly higher number of research regarding digital disruptions, followed by waste management and handling and sustainable resource management. Digital Transformation: The Key To Tackling Climate Change This finding. 142, pp. 55, no. 43, no. 4, pp. The Environmental Impact and Potential of Digital Technology Steer, and A. Hetzner, Valuing the environment: proceedings of the first annual international conference on environmentally sustainable development, in Proceedings of the in Valuing the Environment: Proceedings of the First Annual International Conference on Environmentally Sustainable Development, p. 192, Washington DC USA, March 1993. (PDF) Digital Transformation and Environmental Sustainability: A Review In addition, blockchain-based methods can be deployed to reduce the number of pollutants being released into the environment by utilising a blockchain reward system. Meanwhile, in [8], the adverse effects of digitalisation were not mentioned explicitly in the publication. A. Manhart, R. Vogt, M. Priester et al., The environmental criticality of primary raw materials a new methodology to assess global environmental hazard potentials of minerals and metals from mining, Miner. NGOs have several key expectations of digital transformation. 230240, 2019. Introduction Given that environmental pollution has a significant negative influence on human health, with various economic consequences, such as reduced life expectancy, infant mortality, and productivity, it has become one of China's most contentious issues (Kahn et al., 2015) [ 1, 2 ]. ClimateCare and MyClimate have both produced useful guidance as to how we can work towards reducing our digital carbon footprint. A Study on the Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate ESG P. Tan, B. 13, no. C. Liu, K. K. Chai, X. Zhang, E. T. Lau, and Y. Chen, Adaptive blockchain-based electric vehicle participation scheme in smart grid platform, IEEE Access, vol. The sustainability of the environment is an important topic and has attracted the attention of scientists since the 90s. 318329, 2020. 19, 2019. Nevertheless, potential adverse effects need to be considered, such as greater energy use by digitalised systems than conventional systems. This can be achieved by utilising advanced monitoring tools to collect data, and then, the outcome would be used by the decision-making systems. For example, new techniques were leveraged to forecast the energy consumption [4345], analyse energy consumption [100, 101], design energy-efficient systems [102104], or monitor and manage the resources [105107]. 83104, 2018. 8, no. 26, no. Even though the leverage of digital technologies for environmental sustainability goals has yielded favourable results, there exist general issues that need to be tackled in years to come. L. Abbatecola, M. P. Fanti, A. M. Mangini, and W. Ukovich, A decision support approach for postal delivery and waste collection services, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, vol. 235246, 2015. 299311, 2017. (ii)Research question 2 (RQ2): how do digital technologies preserve the environment against pollution and the degradation of natural resources? 31, no. Future research should be undertaken to explore how digital transformation impacts other related sustainability domains, such as the economy and the social fields. Introduction Industrial production has significant environmental implications worldwide. 1322, 2016. 51, no. Statistics of the papers based on the environmental sustainability domains. 64, pp. Nevertheless, prospective known adverse effects and uncertainties regarding the application of digital solutions need to be considered, for example, the energy-intensive demand for ICT-enable systems. This chapter discusses how digital transformation can help reduce carbon emissions in the water industry. The program comprised five distinct sessions in order to tackle just as much different aspects of environmental impacts caused by digital transformation as well as relevant challenges for the LCA methodology: . 787804, 2016. M. Logan, M. Safi, P. Lens, and C. Visvanathan, Investigating the performance of internet of things based anaerobic digestion of food waste, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, vol. To meet the high demand for hardware, extraction of rare earth elements and other precious metals like cobalt and lithium is increasing steadily. Next, Section 4 presents the researchs main findings and discusses potential challenges as well as further research directions. Hence, this is a critical issue for future research. Environmental Impact of Digital Technologies Despite its seemingly separate existence from the physical world, digital activity has created its own unlikely carbon footprint. Y. Zhang, S. Ma, H. Yang, J. Lv, and Y. Liu, A big data driven analytical framework for energy-intensive manufacturing industries, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. Digital transformation, with the utilisation of modern technologies, can help develop new coping methods with waste on enormous scales. 34, no. 1626, 2020. For instance, the implications of emerging technologies such as blockchain and sensor technology in the environment context have yet to be thoroughly studied. H1b: The impact of digital transformation on the green development of manufacturing enterprises is mainly achieved through three paths of product greening, technology greening and investment greening. 730, Article ID 138726, 2020. This study investigated the indirect environmental impact of the application of ICTs in other goods and services and the ecological impacts of these changes. 13, pp. Moreover, soil oxides are affected by multiple environmental factors such as soil pH, geomorphological, and elevation, and their distribution is highly regional. Park, F. Meng, and M. A. Baloch, The effect of ICT, financial development, growth, and trade openness on CO2 emissions: an empirical analysis, Environmental Science & Pollution Research, vol. People. Limiting video streaming and downloading content where possible. 10, no. Capgemini Consult., vol. Regarding resource . Numerous studies showed that the production phase of ICT goods such as notebooks, smartphones, and tablets dominates the resource depletion impact [1921]. Z. Wen, S. Hu, D. D. Clercq et al., Design, implementation, and evaluation of an Internet of Things (IoT) network system for restaurant food waste management, Waste Management Series, vol. 3239, 2019. This study has shown that the advancement of digital technologies such as AI, big data, IoT, and blockchain could help alleviate the negative effects on the environment in numerous ways. UNEP has adopted the Digital Transformation subprogramme as a core part of its MediumTerm Strategy 2022 - 2025. 31, no. Furthermore, blockchain technology has facilitated applications of sharing economy in the energy area. The activities of enterprise digital . 11031115, 2019. 543552, 2019. After scanning the abstracts and conclusions, 160 articles were selected. B. Krumay and R. Brandtweiner, Measuring the environmental impact of ICT hardware, International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, vol. All these physical products demand resources and energy throughout their life cycle. D. A. D. Genuino, B. G. Bataller, S. C. Capareda, and M. D. G. de Luna, Application of artificial neural network in the modeling and optimization of humic acid extraction from municipal solid waste biochar, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, vol. Nevertheless, it also engages a series of challenges, which need more in-depth investigation. Hence, it is crucial to improve the sustainability regulation and its enforcement. In [92], blockchain technology was utilised to develop an emission trading system, which was an economic incentive to control environmental pollution. Across the 63 use cases we analyzed, generative AI has the potential to generate $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in value across industries. 520536, 2020. W. Wang, H. Yang, Y. Zhang, and J. Xu, IoT-enabled real-time energy efficiency optimisation method for energy-intensive manufacturing enterprises, International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, vol. This increases the efficiency of waste management, thereby supporting environmental protection. 3, pp. For example, AI-based models were implemented to model, optimise, predict, and control pollutant issues related to pollutant removal processes [8183] and analysis and forecast of air pollutants [8487]. 32, no. 10, Article ID 11480, 2017. 69997008, 2017. 818833, 2013. The following protocol asserted the rationale for the study. 236, pp. Digital transformation is a need sought to be fulfilled by most organizations that want to be competitive. Digit. Watch thisprovoking curtain raiser video on the role of digital technology in accelerating environmental sustainability and jointhe Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES). Abstract. 19, Article ID 18225, 2018. A. Haseeb, E. Xia, S. Saud, A. Ahmad, and H. Khurshid, Does information and communication technologies improve environmental quality in the era of globalization? Although digital transformation is primarily used in a business context, it also affects other sectors such as government organisations and those involved in addressing social challenges by leveraging these existing emerging technologies. Hence, a comprehensive approach is needed to understand the impacts that digitalisation benefits the environmental aspect. 56, pp. 244, Article ID 118529, 2020. Abstract In recent years, the rate of climate change appears to have accelerated, and digital transformation and environmental performance have become increasingly important in the field of corporate social responsibility. 7278, 2018. 122, 2018. 61096116, 2019. Fourth Industrial Revolution. 252, pp. Given the utility of big data, academia and practitioners have started to integrate these technologies to address sustainable environmental problems. 127, pp. The remainder of this study proceeds as follows. 672679, 2016. 8, no. 72, no. Environmental Economics and Management Volume 10 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1047418 This article is part of the Research Topic Fuzzy Mathematical Model and Optimization in Digital Green Innovation for Industry 5.0 View all 10 Articles W. Lu, X. Chen, D. C. W. Ho, and H. Wang, Analysis of the construction waste management performance in Hong Kong: the public and private sectors compared using big data, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. The Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate Environment 2635, 2018. Digital Transformation and the Value Chain D. Antanasijevi, V. Pocajt, I. Popovi, N. Redi, and M. Risti, The forecasting of municipal waste generation using artificial neural networks and sustainability indicators, Sustainability Science, vol. This section contains the background information necessary to better understand the association between digital transformation and environmental sustainability. Based on the literature summary, this study also discusses the opportunities and challenges in this field, which attempts to offer a vision for further research. X. Zhou, M. Zhang, M. Zhou, and M. Zhou, A comparative study on decoupling relationship and influence factors between Chinas regional economic development and industrial energyrelated carbon emissions, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. The main electronic databases utilised in the survey. PDF The Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate Environment How Digital Transformation Reduces Environmental Impact - Yahoo Finance J. Zeng and W. Qiao, Short-term solar power prediction using a support vector machine, Renewable Energy, vol. The Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate Environment Digital transformation requires a large amount of physical hardware. For example, digital technology such as AI, big data, IoT, and blockchain is revolutionising our approach to biodiversity conservation, clean energy development, and management of natural disasters. 10521062, 2019. 4, 2018. G. Yang, Y. Wang, and X. Li, Prediction of the NOx emissions from thermal power plant using long-short term memory neural network, Energy, vol. 27, no. P. Nowakowski, K. Szwarc, and U. Boryczka, Combining an artificial intelligence algorithm and a novel vehicle for sustainable e-waste collection, The Science of the Total Environment, vol. Response of Soil Oxides in Complex Terrain Region to Environment W. Lu, X. Chen, Y. Peng, and X. Liu, The effects of green building on construction waste minimization: triangulating big data with thick data, Waste Management Series, vol. In the context of solving pollution problems, emerging technologies can help reduce pollution in the environment and achieve sustainability. P. K. Gopalakrishnan, J. After this stage, 319 articles remained. Hence, reducing e-waste streams and enhancing recycling technology are essential to lowering the environments burden. For example, Westerman et al. G. Vial, Understanding digital transformation: a review and a research agenda, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, vol. 200208, 2019. 2, pp. The accumulation of waste is a major environmental problem due to rapid urbanisation and population growth. 17, no. 9901000, 2019. Digital transformation is a long-term solution for reducing harmful practices and lowering businesses' negative impact on the environment, but digitization also has some environmental concerns . ( Source: Shutterstock.com) The cost of paper-based processes to the environment is higher than many realize. Nevertheless, the pace rose sharply from 2016, with a peak in 2019. 55, no. P. Marques, D. Manfroi, E. Deitos et al., An IoT-based smart cities infrastructure architecture applied to a waste management scenario, Ad Hoc Networks, vol. B. W. Danish and Z. Latif, Towards cross-regional sustainable development: the nexus between information and communication technology, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, Sustainable Development, vol. Digital transformation and environmental sustainability in industry 3850, 2016. Carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20%; The use of natural resources in products by 90%; Waste and detoxifying supply chains by a factor of 10-100X. Sustainable supply chains - digital transformation technologies' impact 398418, 2019. 5, pp. PDF Digital Transformation and Environmental Sustainability: A Review and 264272, 2019. Statistics of the total papers published per year. On the contrary, the authors in [7] concentrated on the impact of digitalisation on climate change adaptation and sustainable development. K.-H. Chang, A decision support system for planning and coordination of hybrid renewable energy systems, Decision Support Systems, vol. It highlights the two measures with the greatest decarbonization potential, namely energy efficiency and water efficiency, and describes how digital solutions can increase their impact at each stage of the water value chain. M. Ali Abdoli, M. Falah Nezhad, R. Salehi Sede, and S. Behboudian, Longterm forecasting of solid waste generation by the artificial neural networks, Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, vol. S. Park, M. Kim, M. Kima et al., Predicting PM10 concentration in Seoul metropolitan subway stations using artificial neural network (ANN), Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. Next, the tutorials, short papers, technical reports, conference proceedings, and book chapters were excluded to ensure that all selected studies had undergone consistent revision. 87, pp. (iii)Research question 3 (RQ3): what are the current issues and open research directions? Meanwhile, the authors [2224] argued that the production of ICT machinery and devices is among the sources contributing to the increasing levels of CO2 emissions. Blockchain is considered one of the most disruptive inventions of the past decade, potentially impacting many areas of society such as energy industries, financial corporations, and pub sectors [119]. 142152, 2018. 237243, 2018. Introduction China's economy has recently shifted from a stage of rapid growth to one of high-quality development. C. Persson, P. Bacher, T. Shiga, and H. Madsen, Multi-site solar power forecasting using gradient boosted regression trees, Solar Energy, vol. Furthermore, to estimate NOX emission, several AI algorithms were also utilised, such as deep bidirectional learning machine [39], deep belief network (DBN) [40], or long short-term memory (LSTM) [41, 42]. 221, pp. It is also a facilitator of environmental sustainability research and application. H. Yang, M. Ma, J. R. Thompson, and R. J. For example, digital technology such as AI, big data, IoT, and blockchain is revolutionising our approach to biodiversity conservation, clean energy development, and management of natural disasters. X. Ge and J. Jackson, The big data application strategy for cost reduction in automotive industry, SAE International Journal of Commercial Vehicles, vol. 2, pp. Frontiers | The impact of digital transformation on corporate 25, no. R. Goodland, The concept of environmental sustainability, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, vol. Full article: The impacts of digital transformation on data-based When you consider that 80% of all carbon emissions are due to energy consumption, and 60% of the way we manage energy is inefficient, the scale of the . 2014, Article ID 646953, 13 pages, 2014. 10, no. 3, pp. How Digital Transformation Reduces Environmental Impact Concerning sustainable resource management, digital technologies open possibilities for energy efficiency [4347] and exploitation and management of renewable resources [4851]. . Specifically, this study focused on how digital technologies preserve the environment against pollution and improve the effectiveness of waste management and handling and sustainable resource management. 91107, 2019. 16, no. 8, no. To conclude, we believe our study lays the groundwork for future research into the field of environmental sustainability. M. Pradel, J. Garcia, and M. S. Vaija, A framework for good practices to assess abiotic mineral resource depletion in Life Cycle Assessment, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 12, no. 82, pp. Our study has revealed many issues, while some research avenues that should be carried out in the upcoming future years also appeared, as presented below:(i)To date, few studies have investigated the systemic indirect environmental effect of ICT-enabled solutions. The usage of intelligent data-sensing devices opens the opportunity to digitise numerous operations and brings enormous benefits.