Implications of digitalisation on environmental sustainability

Abstract

In this paper we aim to analyze through the literature, the implications of digitalization on environmental sustainability in the field of production (product design, production, transport and customer service). The analysis of specialized works highlights the following aspects: 1. Digitization in production contributes positively to environmental sustainability by increasing resources and information efficiency as a result of the application of Industry 4.0 technologies throughout the product life cycle; 2. The negative side of digitalisation on the environment is primarily due to increased use of resources and energy, as well as increased waste and emissions from the manufacture, use and disposal of the hardware component (product life cycle).

Based on these findings, a product life cycle perspective is proposed, taking into account the environmental impact of both the product life cycle and the technology. Through this study, we identified the key implications of digitizing production on environmental sustainability, raising awareness of both positive and negative impact of digitization, and the need to invest in new digital technologies.